Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - notably for the holiday meal.
For her, Christmas often feels like a notably tough season as the sounds of family members munching, slurping and sniffling trigger profound anxiety.
"I get this sensation of instant dread, my every muscle will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
The individual has lived with this condition from a young age and for her that causes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, particularly those coming from those around you.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Experts reported a significant portion of people experience it.
Often it's sounds connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity from childhood, says the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to manage the meal. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to minimize distressing triggers.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Manage
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.
- Visualise Something Else: Mental imagery is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or are troubled. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
