The Holiday Season Can Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones during the festive period, but says a key strategy she'll cope is by using her hearing protection - especially during Christmas dinner.
For her, the holidays often feels like a notably tough time as the noises of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily make her feel profound anxiety.
"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
Lottie has lived with this condition since she was 16 and for her that causes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, particularly those produced by those around you.
It's surprisingly common across the population. A study reported nearly 20% people experience it.
Often it's noises linked to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the most wonderful season can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
She, a university student, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, says currently her plan is to use headphones to cope. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to minimize triggering sounds.
She notes her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, according to specialists.
- Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the specific noise causing distress with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
