Yuletide Can Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie anticipates spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal.
In her case, this time of year is a especially challenging time as the noises of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing trigger profound anxiety.
"There's this feeling of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tighten and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to manage these sounds."
She has lived with sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that causes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, especially noises made by individuals.
It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers reported nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Frequently it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to get through dinner. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.
She notes her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Cope
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or maybe they're upset. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
