Christmas Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman is looking forward to seeing her family during the festive period, but notes a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by using her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the holiday meal.
For her, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging season as the noises of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this feeling of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these noises."
The individual has suffered from sound sensitivity for several years and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds coming from individuals.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Typically it's sounds linked to bodily functions that cause distress, along with things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful season can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a powerful reaction that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, explains her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to escape problematic noises.
She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Manage
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, according to specialists.
- Imagine Something Else: Imagination is crucial. Attempt to link the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or could be emotional. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your understanding of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
