Yuletide Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie is looking forward to seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but notes a primary method she'll endure is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the holiday meal.
In her case, Christmas often feels like a notably tough time as the auditory triggers of family members munching, slurping and sniffling cause her intense distress.
"I get this feeling of sudden panic, my entire being will just freeze and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to stop these triggers."
The individual has lived with misophonia since she was 16 and for her that makes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by those around you.
It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that cause distress, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can transform into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can cause a strong emotional response that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, says the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to escape triggering sounds.
She explains her condition is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
For those affected then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is key. Attempt to link the particular sound causing distress with something completely different. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or are troubled. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
