Christmas Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie anticipates being with her loved ones this Christmas, but notes a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by using her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas often feels like a particularly difficult season as the noises of other people chewing, drinking noisily and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety.
"I get this sensation of instant dread, my entire being will just tighten and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
The individual has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, especially noises produced by individuals.
It is prevalent across the population. Experts discovered almost one in five people experience it.
Typically it's noises linked to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, along with things like crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can transform into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to cope. Usually, she would frequently go in a different room to minimize problematic noises.
She explains her misophonia is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then the stress response will kick in.
"It may seem 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 various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Visualise Something Else: Imagination is essential. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
