The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie hopes for spending time with her loved ones during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at the main festive feast.
In her case, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging time as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel intense distress.
"I experience this feeling of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these sounds."
Lottie has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that causes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, notably sounds produced by individuals.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. A study reported nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Typically it's sounds linked to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to minimize problematic noises.
She explains her condition is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to be around family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Cope
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is key. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
