Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie anticipates spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll cope is by using her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal.
For her, Christmas is a notably tough season as the auditory triggers of people eating, slurping and sniffling cause her intense distress.
"I experience this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these triggers."
The individual has suffered from sound sensitivity for several years and for her that renders the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, especially noises produced by individuals.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Experts found almost one in five people suffer from it.
Often it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for affected individuals.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a university student, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to cope. On any other day, she would often retreat in a separate space to minimize problematic noises.
She explains her condition is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists.
- Picture an Alternative: Imagination is crucial. Attempt to link the triggering sound causing distress with something completely different. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or could be emotional. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
