The Holiday Season Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman is looking forward to being with her loved ones over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll endure is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.
For her, this time of year is a particularly difficult season as the auditory triggers of people eating, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her profound anxiety.
"I experience this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these noises."
Lottie has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, especially noises produced by other people.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Researchers discovered almost one in five people experience it.
Often it's noises linked to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can cause a visceral feeling that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to minimize triggering sounds.
She notes her condition is more intense around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you 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 panicked and begin to weep and then panic will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists.
- Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with something completely different. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique 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. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. Through participation, 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 a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
