Christmas Transforms Into a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie hopes for seeing her relatives this Christmas, but says a primary method she'll endure is by using her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast.
For her, Christmas often feels like a notably tough time as the noises of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety.
"I get this wave of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to stop these triggers."
Lottie has suffered from misophonia since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, particularly those produced by those around you.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Experts discovered almost one in five people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the most wonderful season can transform into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a visceral feeling that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. On any other day, she would frequently go in a separate space to minimize distressing triggers.
She says her condition is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Manage
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Visualise an Alternative: Imagination is key. Attempt to link the particular sound causing distress with something completely different. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or maybe they're upset. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
