Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie is looking forward to being with her relatives this Christmas, but notes a key strategy she'll cope is by using her hearing protection - especially during the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas can be a especially challenging season as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this sensation of sudden panic, my whole body will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these noises."
Lottie has lived with sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that renders the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, particularly those made by those around you.
It's surprisingly common across the population. A study discovered almost one in five people experience it.
Typically 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
She explains: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous season can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a university student, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to cope. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to minimize problematic noises.
She notes her condition is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Cope
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to specialists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or could be emotional. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.