Christmas Transforms Into a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie hopes for being with her family over the holidays, but admits a primary method she'll endure is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult time as the noises of other people chewing, drinking noisily and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this feeling of sudden panic, my whole body will just tighten and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
Lottie has suffered from sound sensitivity for several years and for her that causes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises coming from other people.
It is prevalent in the UK. Experts discovered almost one in five people are affected by it.
Often it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous season can transform into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a powerful reaction that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a university student, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, states her strategy is to listen to music to manage the meal. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to minimize distressing triggers.
She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then panic will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Manage
For those affected then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Imagine Something Else: Mental imagery is key. Attempt to link the specific noise causing distress with something completely different. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or are troubled. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your understanding of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
