Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old hopes for being with her relatives over the holidays, but admits a primary method she'll endure is by wearing her earplugs - especially during Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas often feels like a notably tough season as the sounds of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this sensation of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these noises."
Lottie has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises produced by other people.
It is prevalent across the population. Experts reported nearly 20% people experience it.
Often it's sounds connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My relatives 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 ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the most wonderful time of the year can transform into a source of agony for sufferers.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, states currently her plan is to listen to music to manage the meal. On any other day, she would often retreat in a quiet area to minimize triggering sounds.
She explains her condition is more intense around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.