Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie hopes for spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her hearing protection - especially during the holiday meal.
For her, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult season as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily make her feel intense distress.
"I get this feeling of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
The individual has experienced this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from those around you.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Researchers found a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Typically it's sounds connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including examples such as crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "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 aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful season can transform into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a strong emotional response that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize triggering sounds.
She notes her condition is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Cope
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Picture Something Else: Mental imagery is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
