Christmas Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old anticipates being with her loved ones over the holidays, but says a primary method she'll cope is by wearing her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal.
In her case, Christmas is a especially challenging season as the auditory triggers of people eating, slurping and sniffling cause her intense distress.
"There's this sensation of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these noises."
The individual has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, particularly those produced by individuals.
The condition is widespread in the UK. A study reported a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Often it's noises linked to bodily functions that cause distress, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a visceral feeling that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states her strategy is to use headphones to get through dinner. On any other day, she would frequently go in a different room to avoid problematic noises.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to be around family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the triggering sound causing distress with something completely different. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. For example 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. Even though the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
