Yuletide Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but admits a key strategy she'll cope is by using her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year can be a notably tough season as the sounds of family members munching, drinking noisily and sniffling make her feel profound anxiety.
"There's this sensation of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to manage these triggers."
Lottie has experienced sound sensitivity for several years and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by other people.
It is prevalent in the UK. Experts reported almost one in five people experience it.
Often it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, along with examples such as crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy season can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to avoid distressing triggers.
She says her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to be around family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then panic will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Cope
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your reaction of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
