The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie anticipates spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll endure is by using her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.
In her case, Christmas is a particularly difficult season as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and breathing heavily cause her profound anxiety.
"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my entire being will just freeze and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these noises."
The individual has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that makes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, especially noises produced by those around you.
It is prevalent in the UK. Experts found a significant portion of people experience it.
Often it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, including things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the most wonderful time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
She, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, states her strategy is to put her earphones in to cope. Typically, she would frequently go in a separate space to escape triggering sounds.
She says her condition is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"People assume you to be around family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Cope
For those affected then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Visualise Something Else: Mental imagery is key. Attempt to link the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or are troubled. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
