Christmas Can Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to seeing her family this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal.
For her, this time of year often feels like a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of people eating, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this sensation of sudden panic, my whole body will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
Lottie has experienced misophonia since she was 16 and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by other people.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Experts found a significant portion of people experience it.
Often it's sounds connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy time of the year can transform into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Usually, she would often retreat in a separate space to escape triggering sounds.
She says her misophonia is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then the stress response will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
For those affected then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Attempt to link the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
