Christmas Can Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman is looking forward to seeing her relatives during the festive period, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her earplugs - notably for Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a especially challenging period as the sounds of other people chewing, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel intense distress.
"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
The individual has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that makes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, particularly those made by those around you.
The condition is widespread in the UK. A study discovered a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, along with things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can cause a strong emotional response that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, states the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to cope. Usually, she would frequently go in a different room to minimize distressing triggers.
She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Manage
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Visualise an Alternative: Imagination is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or are troubled. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
