Christmas Can Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie anticipates being with her relatives during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.
For her, the holidays is a especially challenging season as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this feeling of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
She has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds coming from individuals.
It is prevalent amongst adults. A study discovered nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Typically it's sounds associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can rapidly become a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a visceral feeling that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, says her strategy is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to avoid triggering sounds.
She notes her misophonia is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Manage
For those affected then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Visualise an Alternative: Imagination is crucial. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your understanding of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
