The Holiday Season Can Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie hopes for seeing her relatives during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by using her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year is a particularly difficult time as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety.
"I get this feeling of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."
Lottie has suffered from sound sensitivity for several years and for her that makes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds coming from individuals.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers found a significant portion of people experience it.
Often it's sounds connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a powerful reaction that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
She, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, states her strategy is to listen to music to manage the meal. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.
She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to be around family, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then the stress response will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to experts.
- Imagine an Alternative: Creative thinking is key. Attempt to link the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
