Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old anticipates seeing her family over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.
In her case, this time of year often feels like a particularly difficult time as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel profound anxiety.
"I get this feeling of instant dread, my entire being will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to manage these triggers."
She has suffered from misophonia from a young age and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by those around you.
It is prevalent across the population. A study reported a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Frequently it's noises connected to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, as well as things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can transform into a source of agony for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a strong emotional response that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states her strategy is to use headphones to get through dinner. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to minimize problematic noises.
She notes her condition is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Handle It
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.