Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll endure is by using her earplugs - notably for the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a notably tough time as the noises of other people chewing, drinking noisily and nose-blowing trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this feeling of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to stop these triggers."
Lottie has lived with this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, especially noises made by individuals.
It is prevalent across the population. Experts reported almost one in five people suffer from it.
Often it's sounds connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy season can transform into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a strong emotional response that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity from childhood, states the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to avoid problematic noises.
She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
For those affected then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the triggering sound causing distress with something completely different. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
