Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie hopes for being with her loved ones over the holidays, but says a primary method she'll endure is by using her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays can be a notably tough time as the sounds of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel profound anxiety.
"I get this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
She has suffered from sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises produced by individuals.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Researchers discovered almost one in five people are affected by it.
Often it's sounds connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, as well as things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful time of the year can transform into a source of agony for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, explains her strategy is to listen to music to manage the meal. Usually, she would often retreat in a separate space to escape distressing triggers.
She notes her condition is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to socialize with family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Manage
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Visualise an Alternative: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
