Christmas Transforms Into a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie is looking forward to being with her loved ones this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll cope is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays can be a especially challenging time as the noises of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this wave of instant dread, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds."
Lottie has experienced sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, especially noises made by individuals.
It is prevalent amongst adults. A study reported a significant portion of people experience it.
Often it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, as well as things like chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can cause a strong emotional response that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, states the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to avoid problematic noises.
She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Cope
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.
- Visualise an Alternative: Creative thinking is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
