Christmas Transforms Into a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to seeing her relatives over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by using her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the holiday meal.
For her, this time of year often feels like a notably tough period as the sounds of other people chewing, sipping loudly and breathing heavily make her feel intense distress.
"I experience this sensation of instant dread, my whole body will just tense up and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."
The individual has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that causes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, particularly those produced by individuals.
It's surprisingly common across the population. A study reported a significant portion of people experience it.
Often it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, including things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas 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 easy to understand why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can trigger a powerful reaction that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, says the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to get through dinner. Typically, she would frequently go in a different room to escape problematic noises.
She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.
- Picture Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the triggering sound causing distress with an unrelated image. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
