Christmas Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie is looking forward to being with her loved ones during the festive period, but admits a primary method she'll cope is by relying on her earplugs - notably for Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult season as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, sipping loudly and breathing heavily trigger intense distress.
"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my whole body will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these noises."
The individual has experienced sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that causes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those made by those around you.
The condition is widespread across the population. Experts discovered almost one in five people experience it.
Typically it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, along with things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can transform into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains her strategy is to use headphones to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize triggering sounds.
She notes her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then the stress response will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, according to specialists.
- Imagine Something Else: Mental imagery is key. Attempt to link the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
