Christmas Can Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old anticipates seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by using her noise-cancelling devices - especially during Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas can be a notably tough time as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and nose-blowing trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this feeling of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just freeze and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these noises."
The individual has lived with misophonia since she was 16 and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, notably sounds made by other people.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Often it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that cause distress, including examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy season can rapidly become a source of agony for affected individuals.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, says her strategy is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a separate space to minimize problematic noises.
She explains her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is key. Attempt to link the particular sound bothering you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your understanding of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
