Yuletide Can Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old hopes for being with her loved ones this Christmas, but admits a key strategy she'll cope is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For her, Christmas is a notably tough time as the noises of family members munching, slurping and breathing heavily cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this wave of instant dread, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to stop these noises."
Lottie has experienced sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that makes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, especially noises coming from other people.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers reported a significant portion of people experience it.
Frequently it's noises associated with eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. 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 supposedly joyous time of the year can transform into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, explains her strategy is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to escape triggering sounds.
She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the particular sound affecting you with something completely different. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
