Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie is looking forward to seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but says a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by using her earplugs - notably for Christmas dinner.
In her case, this time of year is a notably tough season as the sounds of other people chewing, sipping loudly and nose-blowing trigger intense distress.
"There's this sensation of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these noises."
She has suffered from misophonia from a young age and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, especially noises produced by other people.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers discovered almost one in five people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including things like crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous period can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, states the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a different room to avoid triggering sounds.
She says her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to be around family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then the stress response will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
For those affected then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt copying the noise. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
