Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman is looking forward to seeing her family during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For her, this time of year often feels like a notably tough season as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these noises."
The individual has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that causes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, especially noises coming from other people.
The condition is widespread across the population. A study reported a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Often it's sounds associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including examples such as chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the most wonderful period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
The student, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, says her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then panic will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Attempt to link the triggering sound causing distress with an unrelated image. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your reaction of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
