The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by using her earplugs - notably for Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas is a especially challenging period as the sounds of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to manage these noises."
The individual has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, especially noises produced by individuals.
It is prevalent across the population. A study discovered almost one in five people experience it.
Typically it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, including examples such as crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to cope. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to avoid problematic noises.
She explains her condition is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
For those affected then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the triggering sound affecting you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your reaction of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
