The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old anticipates being with her relatives this Christmas, but admits a primary method she'll endure is by wearing her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year can be a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of family members munching, slurping and nose-blowing trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my entire being will just tighten and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these noises."
She has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, especially noises coming from those around you.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Researchers found a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Often it's sounds linked to bodily functions that cause distress, along with examples such as crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can trigger a visceral feeling that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, says the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to cope. Usually, she would often retreat in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers.
She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Imagine Something Else: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the triggering sound causing distress with something completely different. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your understanding of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
