Yuletide Can Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her relatives this Christmas, but admits a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her hearing protection - notably for the main festive feast.
For her, the holidays can be a particularly difficult season as the noises of family members munching, slurping and breathing heavily make her feel profound anxiety.
"I experience this sensation of instant dread, my entire being will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these triggers."
The individual has suffered from misophonia from a young age and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, especially noises coming from individuals.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers found almost one in five people experience it.
Frequently it's noises connected to bodily functions that cause distress, along with things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. On any other day, she would often retreat in a different room to minimize distressing triggers.
She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There is pressure to socialize with family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Cope
For those affected then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the specific noise causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
