Christmas Can Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman anticipates seeing her loved ones over the holidays, but says a primary method she'll cope is by relying on her earplugs - especially during Christmas dinner.
For her, this time of year is a particularly difficult time as the noises of people eating, slurping and sniffling cause her intense distress.
"I experience this feeling of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these noises."
Lottie has lived with this condition for several years and for her that makes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, notably sounds made by those around you.
It is prevalent across the population. A study found almost one in five people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including examples such as chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are aware, 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 guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can rapidly become a living nightmare for sufferers.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, says currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Typically, she would often retreat in a separate space to minimize triggering sounds.
She notes her condition is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There is pressure to socialize with family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then panic will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Picture Something Else: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise remains identical, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
