The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie hopes for seeing her relatives over the holidays, but admits a primary method she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at the main festive feast.
For her, Christmas is a notably tough time as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and nose-blowing trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these noises."
She has lived with this condition for several years and for her that causes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by those around you.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Researchers discovered almost one in five people experience it.
Typically it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy time of the year can transform into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to get through dinner. On any other day, she would frequently go in a different room to escape distressing triggers.
She says her condition is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Manage
For those affected then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Picture Something Else: Creative thinking is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your reaction of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
