The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman hopes for being with her loved ones during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.
In her case, this time of year can be a particularly difficult time as the auditory triggers of family members munching, slurping and sniffling trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this feeling of sudden panic, my whole body will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
Lottie has suffered from this condition since she was 16 and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds made by those around you.
It is prevalent across the population. A study found almost one in five people suffer from it.
Often it's noises associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the most wonderful period can transform into a source of agony for sufferers.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a visceral feeling that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity from childhood, explains currently her plan is to listen to music to cope. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to avoid problematic noises.
She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Handle It
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists.
- Visualise an Alternative: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not in good health or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
