Christmas Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman hopes for seeing her loved ones over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - especially during Christmas dinner.
For her, the holidays is a notably tough period as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and nose-blowing trigger intense distress.
"I experience this feeling of instant dread, my entire being will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to manage these noises."
Lottie has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that causes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds coming from those around you.
It is prevalent in the UK. Experts discovered almost one in five people are affected by it.
Often it's noises linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a visceral feeling that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity from childhood, says currently her plan is to listen to music to cope. On any other day, she would often retreat in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds.
She says her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to socialize with family, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Cope
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to specialists.
- Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is crucial. Attempt to link the particular sound bothering you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
