Christmas Can Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman hopes for spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll endure is by wearing her earplugs - notably for the holiday meal.
For her, this time of year is a especially challenging period as the auditory triggers of people eating, drinking noisily and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this wave of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these noises."
Lottie has experienced this condition since she was 16 and for her that causes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, particularly those made by individuals.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Experts discovered almost one in five people suffer from it.
Often it's noises connected to eating or drinking that cause distress, along with examples such as chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can cause a strong emotional response that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity from childhood, states her strategy is to use headphones to get through dinner. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to minimize problematic noises.
She notes her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then the stress response will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
For those affected then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Imagination is essential. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
