Christmas Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old anticipates seeing her family during the festive period, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by using her hearing protection - especially during the holiday meal.
For her, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging season as the sounds of other people chewing, sipping loudly and breathing heavily make her feel profound anxiety.
"I get this sensation of instant dread, my whole body will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these noises."
The individual has lived with this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from those around you.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Experts discovered almost one in five people experience it.
Often it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, including things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy season can rapidly become a source of agony for those with the condition.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to avoid distressing triggers.
She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"People assume you to socialize with family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Manage
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Picture Something Else: Imagination is crucial. Try to associate the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
