Christmas Can Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie hopes for being with her relatives during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.
In her case, this time of year often feels like a especially challenging period as the noises of people eating, drinking noisily and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety.
"There's this feeling of sudden panic, my entire being will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these sounds."
Lottie has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that causes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises coming from individuals.
It is prevalent across the population. A study discovered a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, as well as things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy time of the year can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
The student, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would frequently go in a separate space to escape problematic noises.
She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then the stress response will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe 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, according to experts.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Imagination is crucial. Try to associate the specific noise affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. By mimicking, 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 a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
