Christmas Can Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to seeing her family during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year can be a notably tough time as the auditory triggers of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety.
"I get this wave of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these noises."
Lottie has suffered from misophonia for several years and for her that makes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, particularly those coming from individuals.
It is prevalent amongst adults. A study found nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Typically it's sounds linked to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, along with things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy season can rapidly become a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, says her strategy is to listen to music to manage the meal. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.
She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then the stress response will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Cope
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.
- Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the triggering sound affecting you with something completely different. As an illustration, 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 poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your understanding of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
