Christmas Transforms Into a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie is looking forward to being with her relatives this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by using her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal.
For her, the holidays often feels like a especially challenging time as the noises of family members munching, drinking noisily and sniffling make her feel profound anxiety.
"I experience this sensation of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these triggers."
Lottie has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that causes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by other people.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Often it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy time of the year can transform into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a visceral feeling that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, explains currently her plan is to use headphones to get through dinner. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to minimize problematic noises.
She explains her condition is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
