Christmas Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman hopes for seeing her loved ones during the festive period, but notes a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the main festive feast.
In her case, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging season as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and breathing heavily trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this sensation of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds."
The individual has lived with sound sensitivity for several years and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, especially noises coming from individuals.
It is prevalent across the population. Researchers discovered a significant portion of people experience it.
Typically it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
The student, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity from childhood, states her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to escape triggering sounds.
She notes her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then the stress response will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to experts.
- Visualise an Alternative: Imagination is key. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
