Yuletide Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman anticipates seeing her loved ones over the holidays, but says a primary method she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays is a notably tough time as the noises of people eating, slurping and sniffling trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these triggers."
Lottie has lived with sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that causes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by individuals.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. A study discovered a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Often it's noises associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous period can quickly turn into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can cause a visceral feeling that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to minimize triggering sounds.
She notes her condition is more intense around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to socialize with family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Cope
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the specific noise causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
