Christmas Transforms Into a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman is looking forward to seeing her relatives over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll endure is by relying on her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal.
In her case, the holidays can be a especially challenging period as the sounds of family members munching, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her profound anxiety.
"There's this feeling of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to manage these triggers."
Lottie has lived with sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds coming from other people.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study discovered nearly 20% people experience it.
Often it's noises connected to bodily functions that cause distress, as well as things like crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous season can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states her strategy is to put her earphones in to cope. Usually, she would often retreat in a quiet area to minimize problematic noises.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then the stress response will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Manage
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Imagine Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the particular sound affecting you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. Through participation, instead of 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.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or could be emotional. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise remains identical, your reaction of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
