Yuletide Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie hopes for being with her loved ones during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll cope is by relying on her hearing protection - especially during Christmas dinner.
For her, this time of year is a notably tough period as the sounds of family members munching, slurping and nose-blowing trigger intense distress.
"I experience this feeling of sudden panic, my whole body will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these noises."
The individual has experienced this condition since she was 16 and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds made by those around you.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. A study reported a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, including things like crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. 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 time of the year can transform into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can cause a strong emotional response that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to avoid triggering sounds.
She says her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this sudden rage 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 unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Manage
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, according to experts.
- Picture an Alternative: Imagination is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound bothering you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
