The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her loved ones during the festive period, but notes a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year is a notably tough period as the noises of people eating, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her profound anxiety.
"There's this wave of sudden panic, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to manage these triggers."
The individual has experienced this condition for several years and for her that causes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds produced by individuals.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Experts discovered nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises associated with bodily functions that cause distress, as well as things like chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid 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 enduring my distress to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the most wonderful time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, says her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. On any other day, she would frequently go in a separate space to avoid triggering sounds.
She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then the stress response will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
