The Holiday Season Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman anticipates being with her relatives over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by using her earplugs - particularly at the main festive feast.
For her, this time of year often feels like a particularly difficult period as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily cause her intense distress.
"I get this feeling of instant dread, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these sounds."
Lottie has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, particularly those coming from those around you.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study found a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Frequently it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, including things like crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for affected individuals.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a strong emotional response that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity from childhood, states the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to minimize triggering sounds.
She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Cope
For those affected then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, according to experts.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Try to associate the particular sound affecting you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or could be emotional. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
