The Holiday Season Can Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll cope is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at the main festive feast.
In her case, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult period as the auditory triggers of family members munching, slurping and sniffling cause her intense distress.
"I experience this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tighten and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these sounds."
Lottie has experienced this condition for several years and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by individuals.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Experts found a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises associated with eating or drinking that cause distress, along with things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful season can rapidly become a living nightmare for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, explains currently her plan is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.
She says her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then panic will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Handle It
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is key. Work on connecting the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
