Yuletide Transforms Into a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman is looking forward to seeing her relatives over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.
For her, this time of year often feels like a notably tough period as the sounds of family members munching, drinking noisily and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this feeling of sudden panic, my whole body will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these triggers."
Lottie has suffered from misophonia from a young age and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, especially noises coming from individuals.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study found almost one in five people suffer from it.
Typically it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy season can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers.
She says her condition is more intense around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to be around family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Cope
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
