Yuletide Transforms Into a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie is looking forward to being with her relatives this Christmas, but notes a key strategy she'll cope is by wearing her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast.
In her case, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult season as the auditory triggers of family members munching, slurping and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this sensation of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these triggers."
She has experienced misophonia since she was 16 and for her that renders the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from individuals.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Researchers reported nearly 20% people experience it.
Often it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, including things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. 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 most wonderful time of the year can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a strong emotional response that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, explains the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to cope. Usually, she would often retreat in a separate space to avoid triggering sounds.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is crucial. Try to associate the specific noise causing distress with a neutral concept. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or could be emotional. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
