Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman is looking forward to seeing her relatives this Christmas, but admits a key strategy she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year can be a notably tough time as the noises of people eating, drinking noisily and breathing heavily trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just tighten and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these triggers."
She has suffered from misophonia for several years and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from individuals.
The condition is widespread across the population. A study reported almost one in five people experience it.
Frequently it's noises associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, along with things like chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can transform into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, explains currently her plan is to use headphones to cope. Usually, she would often retreat in a separate space to escape distressing triggers.
She notes her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"People assume you to be around family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then the stress response will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Manage
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Visualise Something Else: Imagination is essential. Attempt to link the triggering sound bothering you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
