Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman anticipates seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year is a particularly difficult period as the sounds of family members munching, drinking noisily and nose-blowing trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this feeling of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tense up and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."
Lottie has suffered from misophonia for several years and for her that causes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises produced by other people.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. A study discovered almost one in five people are affected by it.
Frequently it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements 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.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the most wonderful time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can cause a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to escape problematic noises.
She explains her condition is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to be around family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Manage
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your understanding of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.