Christmas Transforms Into a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old anticipates being with her loved ones this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas is a especially challenging time as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to manage these sounds."
Lottie has lived with sound sensitivity for several years and for her that causes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, particularly those produced by those around you.
It is prevalent in the UK. Experts reported a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Often it's noises associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, as well as things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful time of the year can quickly turn into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can cause a powerful reaction that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity from childhood, says the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to manage the meal. On any other day, she would often retreat in a quiet area to escape problematic noises.
She notes her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
For those affected then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound affecting you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
