Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman hopes for seeing her relatives this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year can be a especially challenging period as the noises of people eating, drinking noisily and sniffling trigger profound anxiety.
"There's this sensation of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tighten and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these noises."
Lottie has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds made by those around you.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts discovered a significant portion of people experience it.
Frequently it's noises linked to eating or drinking that cause distress, including examples such as chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a source of agony for those with the condition.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, says the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Typically, she would frequently go in a different room to avoid triggering sounds.
She says her condition is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Cope
For those affected then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Picture Something Else: Mental imagery is crucial. Try to associate the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
