The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie hopes for seeing her family during the festive period, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by using her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year is a notably tough time as the noises of other people chewing, sipping loudly and breathing heavily make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this sensation of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these triggers."
The individual has experienced sound sensitivity for several years and for her that causes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, particularly those coming from individuals.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers reported nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Often it's noises linked to bodily functions that cause distress, as well as examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid 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 constant struggle of enduring my distress to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy season can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, explains currently her plan is to use headphones to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to minimize problematic noises.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining.
"It's like this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Visualise Something Else: Mental imagery is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help shift your attention 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 at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
