Christmas Transforms Into a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by using her earplugs - particularly at the holiday meal.
For her, the holidays often feels like a especially challenging time as the noises of people eating, drinking noisily and sniffling make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tighten and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these noises."
She has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that makes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises made by individuals.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Experts discovered nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Frequently it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can trigger a powerful reaction that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
The student, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, states the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to manage the meal. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.
She says her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Cope
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Visualise Something Else: Mental imagery is crucial. Try to associate the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
