The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie hopes for seeing her family during the festive period, but says a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.
In her case, this time of year is a especially challenging time as the noises of people eating, drinking noisily and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these triggers."
Lottie has suffered from this condition for several years and for her that causes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, especially noises coming from individuals.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Researchers reported almost one in five people are affected by it.
Often it's noises linked to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear 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 enduring my distress to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful period can quickly turn into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says her strategy is to use headphones to cope. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to escape distressing triggers.
She says her condition is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then panic will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Cope
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, according to experts.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the particular sound affecting you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise remains identical, your reaction of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
