The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old anticipates seeing her relatives over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - notably for the main festive feast.
For her, this time of year can be a especially challenging period as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily cause her intense distress.
"There's this sensation of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds."
Lottie has suffered from misophonia since she was 16 and for her that causes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, particularly those produced by other people.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts discovered almost one in five people suffer from it.
Typically it's noises connected to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy season can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a visceral feeling that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a university student, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, explains her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. Usually, she would often retreat in a separate space to avoid distressing triggers.
She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to be around family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Cope
For those affected then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is key. Attempt to link the specific noise causing distress with something completely different. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
