The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie hopes for spending time with her relatives this Christmas, but admits a primary method she'll cope is by using her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at Christmas dinner.
In her case, the holidays is a especially challenging season as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and sniffling cause her intense distress.
"I experience this sensation of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to stop these triggers."
The individual has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by individuals.
It's surprisingly common across the population. A study discovered a significant portion of people experience it.
Often it's noises linked to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including examples such as chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My family 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 others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
She, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states her strategy is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Usually, she would often retreat in a separate space to avoid problematic noises.
She explains her condition is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"People assume you to be around family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Manage
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is crucial. Try to associate the triggering sound causing distress with something completely different. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or maybe they're upset. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your reaction of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
