The Holiday Season Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her relatives during the festive period, but notes a key strategy she'll cope is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at the holiday meal.
In her case, the holidays often feels like a notably tough season as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and breathing heavily make her feel profound anxiety.
"There's this sensation of instant dread, my entire being will just tighten and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
Lottie has experienced sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, notably sounds made by individuals.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers found a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Frequently it's sounds connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful period can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a visceral feeling that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, states the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would frequently go in a separate space to avoid problematic noises.
She notes her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
For those affected then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Picture Something Else: Imagination is key. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
