Christmas Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie hopes for seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but notes a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by using her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays can be a particularly difficult period as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this feeling of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to stop these triggers."
Lottie has lived with this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, especially noises made by other people.
The condition is widespread across the population. A study reported nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the most wonderful period can transform into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to escape problematic noises.
She explains her condition is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, 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 difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Cope
For those affected then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Work on connecting the triggering sound causing distress with an unrelated image. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- 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 joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
