Christmas Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie is looking forward to seeing her family during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the main festive feast.
In her case, the holidays is a particularly difficult period as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and breathing heavily cause her intense distress.
"I get this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to manage these noises."
Lottie has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that causes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from those around you.
It is prevalent across the population. A study found nearly 20% people experience it.
Often it's sounds linked to bodily functions that cause distress, as well as things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can cause a powerful reaction that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains her strategy is to use headphones to cope. On any other day, she would often retreat in a separate space to escape triggering sounds.
She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"It's like this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Cope
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. 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 distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or are troubled. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
