Christmas Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman anticipates spending time with her relatives this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll cope is by using her earplugs - especially during Christmas dinner.
For her, the holidays is a particularly difficult season as the noises of people eating, drinking noisily and sniffling make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this wave of sudden panic, my whole body will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these noises."
Lottie has experienced misophonia since she was 16 and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, particularly those made by individuals.
The condition is widespread across the population. A study discovered a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Often it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, 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 dealt with sound sensitivity from childhood, explains her strategy is to use headphones to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to avoid problematic noises.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, according to experts.
- Visualise Something Else: Mental imagery is essential. Work on connecting the triggering sound affecting you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.