Yuletide Transforms Into a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her family during the festive period, but notes a primary method she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the main festive feast.
In her case, this time of year often feels like a particularly difficult time as the sounds of people eating, drinking noisily and sniffling trigger intense distress.
"There's this sensation of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these triggers."
The individual has experienced sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises coming from those around you.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Experts reported almost one in five people experience it.
Often it's noises connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a visceral feeling that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would frequently go in a different room to escape problematic noises.
She notes her misophonia is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Manage
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.
- Imagine an Alternative: Imagination is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound affecting you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your reaction of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
