Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie anticipates being with her loved ones during the festive period, but admits a primary method she'll endure is by relying on her hearing protection - especially during Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas is a particularly difficult period as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and sniffling make her feel intense distress.
"I get this feeling of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tighten and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these noises."
Lottie has experienced sound sensitivity for several years and for her that makes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, notably sounds made by individuals.
The condition is widespread in the UK. A study reported a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Often it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that cause distress, along with things like crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful time of the year can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a powerful reaction that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, states her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. Usually, she would often retreat in a quiet area to avoid problematic noises.
She notes her condition is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Cope
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Attempt to link the particular sound affecting you with something completely different. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not in good health or are troubled. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
