Christmas Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old anticipates being with her loved ones during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.
For her, this time of year can be a especially challenging period as the auditory triggers of family members munching, slurping and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety.
"I experience this feeling of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these sounds."
Lottie has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, especially noises made by individuals.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts found nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises connected to bodily functions that cause distress, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are supportive, 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 ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can transform into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a visceral feeling that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to manage the meal. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize distressing triggers.
She explains her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Visualise Something Else: Imagination is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or are troubled. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
