The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman is looking forward to being with her relatives over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her earplugs - notably for Christmas dinner.
For her, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging season as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety.
"I get this sensation of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tighten and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
Lottie has experienced sound sensitivity for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds made by those around you.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Researchers found a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for those with the condition.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a visceral feeling that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity from childhood, states the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize distressing triggers.
She notes her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then the stress response will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Imagination is essential. Try to associate the specific noise causing distress with an unrelated image. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
