The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie hopes for being with her family this Christmas, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at Christmas dinner.
In her case, the holidays is a notably tough season as the sounds of people eating, slurping and sniffling cause her profound anxiety.
"There's this feeling of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
The individual has suffered from sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, notably sounds made by those around you.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Experts discovered almost one in five people suffer from it.
Often it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, explains currently her plan is to listen to music to get through dinner. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to avoid triggering sounds.
She notes her condition is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"It's like this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, 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 unreasonable and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Imagination is crucial. Attempt to link the particular sound bothering you with something completely different. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
