The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie anticipates seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but notes a key strategy she'll endure is by wearing her earplugs - particularly at the main festive feast.
For her, Christmas can be a notably tough time as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling trigger intense distress.
"I get this wave of sudden panic, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these triggers."
The individual has lived with sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, especially noises produced by individuals.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Experts found a significant portion of people experience it.
Frequently it's sounds connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy season can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can cause a strong emotional response that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity from childhood, explains currently her plan is to listen to music to manage the meal. On any other day, she would frequently go in a separate space to escape triggering sounds.
She explains her condition is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
For those affected then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to specialists.
- Imagine Something Else: Imagination is crucial. Attempt to link the triggering sound causing distress with a neutral concept. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or could be emotional. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your understanding of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
