Christmas Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to seeing her family this Christmas, but notes a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.
In her case, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging period as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling trigger intense distress.
"I experience this feeling of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these noises."
Lottie has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that renders the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, notably sounds produced by those around you.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Experts found nearly 20% people experience it.
Often it's noises associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including examples such as chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "I face 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 mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful season can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a powerful reaction that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
The student, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, states the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to escape problematic noises.
She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to socialize with family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Manage
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to specialists.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is key. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or are troubled. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
