The Holiday Season Can Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie is looking forward to seeing her family this Christmas, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.
For her, this time of year can be a especially challenging period as the noises of other people chewing, drinking noisily and nose-blowing make her feel intense distress.
"There's this sensation of sudden panic, my entire being will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these triggers."
Lottie has suffered from this condition for several years and for her that causes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by other people.
It is prevalent across the population. A study found a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Typically it's sounds linked to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to cope. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to avoid problematic noises.
She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then the stress response will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Manage
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound bothering you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or are troubled. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
