Yuletide Transforms Into a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie anticipates seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year is a notably tough time as the sounds of people eating, drinking noisily and breathing heavily cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this feeling of sudden panic, my every muscle will just freeze and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
The individual has lived with misophonia since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by other people.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Researchers reported a significant portion of people experience it.
Typically it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, as well as things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful period can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
The student, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, says currently her plan is to use headphones to get through dinner. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to be around family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Imagination is crucial. Try to associate the triggering sound causing distress with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help shift your attention 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. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or maybe they're upset. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your understanding of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
