Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old anticipates seeing her family during the festive period, but notes a key strategy she'll cope is by relying on her earplugs - notably for the main festive feast.
For her, Christmas often feels like a notably tough season as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and breathing heavily cause her intense distress.
"I experience this feeling of instant dread, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to manage these sounds."
She has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, particularly those coming from other people.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts found a significant portion of people experience it.
Frequently it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous season can quickly turn into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to escape problematic noises.
She says her condition is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel shameful, 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 overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Cope
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists.
- Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the particular sound bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your understanding of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
