Christmas Can Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie anticipates being with her relatives over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll endure is by using her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays is a especially challenging time as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and breathing heavily cause her intense distress.
"I get this wave of sudden panic, my whole body will just tense up and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these noises."
She has suffered from this condition for several years and for her that makes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds produced by individuals.
The condition is widespread across the population. A study discovered a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises linked to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful season can transform into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, states her strategy is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to avoid distressing triggers.
She explains her condition is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then panic will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Manage
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Picture Something Else: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with something completely different. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or are troubled. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
