The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie hopes for being with her loved ones over the holidays, but admits a key strategy she'll endure is by using her earplugs - especially during Christmas dinner.
In her case, this time of year is a particularly difficult time as the auditory triggers of family members munching, sipping loudly and breathing heavily cause her profound anxiety.
"There's this sensation of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these noises."
Lottie has lived with sound sensitivity for several years and for her that makes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from other people.
It is prevalent across the population. Researchers reported a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous season can rapidly become a source of agony for those with the condition.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity from childhood, explains currently her plan is to use headphones to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to minimize problematic noises.
She says her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then panic will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists.
- Visualise Something Else: Imagination is essential. Work on connecting the triggering sound affecting you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your understanding of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
