Yuletide Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old anticipates spending time with her family during the festive period, but notes a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her earplugs - especially during Christmas dinner.
For her, this time of year can be a especially challenging time as the noises of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this wave of instant dread, my every muscle will just freeze and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
She has experienced sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that causes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those coming from other people.
The condition is widespread across the population. Experts reported a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Often it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, including things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, explains currently her plan is to listen to music to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to escape problematic noises.
She notes her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Imagine Something Else: Mental imagery is crucial. Attempt to link the triggering sound affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
