Yuletide Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie hopes for seeing her relatives this Christmas, but notes a key strategy she'll cope is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at the main festive feast.
In her case, this time of year is a notably tough season as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling trigger intense distress.
"I experience this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these noises."
She has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds produced by other people.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Researchers discovered almost one in five people suffer from it.
Often it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, as well as things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can transform into a source of agony for sufferers.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a strong emotional response that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, states the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to avoid distressing triggers.
She says her misophonia is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Cope
For those affected then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Imagine Something Else: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise causing distress with something completely different. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your reaction of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
