Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her earplugs - notably for the main festive feast.
In her case, Christmas can be a especially challenging time as the noises of other people chewing, drinking noisily and nose-blowing cause her intense distress.
"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
She has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by those around you.
It is prevalent in the UK. A study reported nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Often it's noises associated with eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, including examples such as chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous season can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can trigger a powerful reaction that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.
She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Picture Something Else: Imagination is crucial. Attempt to link the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: One more method 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. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
