Christmas Can Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie hopes for being with her family this Christmas, but notes one of the only ways she'll endure is by wearing her hearing protection - especially during Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas can be a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and nose-blowing make her feel profound anxiety.
"I get this sensation of sudden panic, my entire being will just tighten and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds."
She has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that causes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises coming from other people.
It is prevalent in the UK. Experts reported nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Often it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, including examples such as chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the most wonderful period can transform into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a powerful reaction that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would frequently go in a separate space to minimize distressing triggers.
She says her condition is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Handle It
For those affected then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Imagine Something Else: Creative thinking is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
