The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.
For her, Christmas often feels like a particularly difficult time as the sounds of people eating, drinking noisily and breathing heavily cause her intense distress.
"I get this wave of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these noises."
Lottie has lived with this condition for several years and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, notably sounds produced by individuals.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers reported nearly 20% people experience it.
Often it's noises associated with eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to avoid distressing triggers.
She explains her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Cope
For those affected then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the specific noise bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or could be emotional. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
