Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman hopes for seeing her family this Christmas, but says one of the only ways she'll endure is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas can be a particularly difficult time as the noises of other people chewing, sipping loudly and sniffling cause her intense distress.
"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just freeze and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds."
Lottie has suffered from this condition since she was 16 and for her that renders the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, notably sounds made by those around you.
The condition is widespread in the UK. A study reported a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises connected to eating or drinking that cause distress, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can rapidly become a source of agony for those with the condition.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to get through dinner. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to avoid problematic noises.
She explains her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to be around family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Manage
For those affected then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Imagine 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 gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
