Christmas Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie is looking forward to being with her family over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at Christmas dinner.
In her case, this time of year can be a especially challenging time as the sounds of other people chewing, drinking noisily and breathing heavily cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tighten and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
She has experienced this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by those around you.
The condition is widespread across the population. Researchers reported a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Often it's sounds linked to bodily functions that cause distress, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can provoke a visceral feeling that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.
She notes her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining.
"It's like this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Manage
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Imagine Something Else: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the triggering sound affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your understanding of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
