Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old anticipates spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by using her hearing protection - particularly at the main festive feast.
For her, the holidays can be a particularly difficult time as the sounds of family members munching, sipping loudly and breathing heavily make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this feeling of instant dread, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
Lottie has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that causes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those coming from other people.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers found nearly 20% people experience it.
Often it's noises linked to eating or drinking that cause distress, as well as things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful season can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
The student, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a separate space to avoid distressing triggers.
She explains her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to be around family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then panic will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Manage
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Imagination is crucial. Try to associate the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your reaction of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
