The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her relatives during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal.
In her case, this time of year often feels like a notably tough season as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling trigger intense distress.
"I experience this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these triggers."
Lottie has lived with sound sensitivity for several years and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, notably sounds coming from those around you.
It is prevalent across the population. Researchers reported nearly 20% people experience it.
Typically it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, as well as things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the most wonderful time of the year can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, states the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to cope. Usually, she would often retreat in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers.
She says her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Manage
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Imagination is crucial. Try to associate the triggering sound causing distress with something completely different. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
