Christmas Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the main festive feast.
For her, this time of year is a particularly difficult season as the auditory triggers of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety.
"I get this wave of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
She has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, particularly those made by those around you.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers found nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises associated with bodily functions that cause distress, along with examples such as crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous period can transform into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a powerful reaction that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, states currently her plan is to use headphones to get through dinner. Typically, she would frequently go in a different room to avoid distressing triggers.
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 family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then panic will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Visualise an Alternative: Imagination is crucial. Try to associate the triggering sound affecting you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
