The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie hopes for seeing her relatives this Christmas, but notes a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a especially challenging period as the noises of family members munching, slurping and breathing heavily trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this feeling of instant dread, my entire being will just tighten and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these sounds."
The individual has suffered from misophonia since she was 16 and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those produced by other people.
It is prevalent amongst adults. A study reported nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Frequently it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, along with things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, states the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to cope. On any other day, she would frequently go in a separate space to avoid problematic noises.
She explains her misophonia is more intense around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then the stress response will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Visualise an Alternative: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. By joining in, 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 making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your understanding of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
