Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie anticipates being with her relatives during the festive period, but notes a primary method she'll endure is by using her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas is a particularly difficult season as the sounds of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this wave of instant dread, my every muscle will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these noises."
Lottie has experienced sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that makes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds made by individuals.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Experts found almost one in five people suffer from it.
Often it's noises connected to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a source of agony for those with the condition.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, states currently her plan is to listen to music to get through dinner. On any other day, she would frequently go in a separate space to minimize triggering sounds.
She says her condition is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Cope
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the specific noise causing distress with a neutral concept. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at 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.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
