Christmas Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie is looking forward to seeing her family over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her hearing protection - notably for Christmas dinner.
In her case, the holidays often feels like a especially challenging time as the sounds of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing cause her intense distress.
"I get this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
She has experienced this condition for several years and for her that makes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, especially noises coming from other people.
The condition is widespread across the population. A study discovered nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Often it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can provoke a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to get through dinner. On any other day, she would often retreat in a separate space to minimize triggering sounds.
She says her sensitivity is more intense around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then panic will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Manage
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Visualise Something Else: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your reaction of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.