Christmas Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie is looking forward to seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her hearing protection - especially during the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas can be a particularly difficult season as the sounds of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing cause her intense distress.
"There's this sensation of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just freeze and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to stop these sounds."
She has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, particularly those coming from those around you.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Experts discovered nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises associated with eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including examples such as crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a visceral feeling that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
The student, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, states her strategy is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize distressing triggers.
She explains her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I wish 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 immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Manage
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. For 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 game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
