The Holiday Season Can Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie anticipates being with her loved ones this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her hearing protection - especially during the holiday meal.
In her case, this time of year is a especially challenging season as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, sipping loudly and breathing heavily make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to manage these noises."
Lottie has experienced this condition for several years and for her that causes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, especially noises produced by individuals.
The condition is widespread across the population. Experts discovered a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Often it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, including things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to cope. Typically, she would frequently go in a separate space to escape triggering sounds.
She explains her condition is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then panic will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Imagine Something Else: Creative thinking is crucial. Try to associate the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
