The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie is looking forward to spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but admits a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by using her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the holiday meal.
For her, Christmas often feels like a particularly difficult period as the auditory triggers of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling cause her intense distress.
"There's this feeling of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just freeze and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these triggers."
The individual has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that causes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds coming from those around you.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Experts reported almost one in five people are affected by it.
Frequently it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a source of agony for affected individuals.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a strong emotional response that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, states her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid problematic noises.
She notes her sensitivity is worse around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I want to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Cope
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.
- Imagine an Alternative: Imagination is crucial. Try to associate the particular sound causing distress with something completely different. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or could be emotional. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.