The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie hopes for being with her loved ones this Christmas, but admits a primary method she'll cope is by using her noise-cancelling devices - especially during Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas often feels like a particularly difficult time as the sounds of family members munching, sipping loudly and breathing heavily cause her intense distress.
"I get this feeling of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tighten and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these triggers."
She has lived with this condition from a young age and for her that causes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by other people.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Experts found a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, including things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can transform into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can provoke a powerful reaction that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
She, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, says the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to manage the meal. Usually, she would often retreat in a separate space to escape problematic noises.
She notes her misophonia is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"People assume you to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then the stress response will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to specialists.
- Visualise an Alternative: Imagination is key. Try to associate the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- 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 making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
