Christmas Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her family this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by wearing her hearing protection - especially during the holiday meal.
For her, this time of year often feels like a notably tough season as the auditory triggers of people eating, drinking noisily and sniffling trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this wave of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."
The individual has suffered from sound sensitivity for several years and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, particularly those coming from individuals.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Researchers found a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises connected to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can rapidly become a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
The student, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize triggering sounds.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the particular sound bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your understanding of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.