Christmas Can Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her family this Christmas, but says one of the only ways she'll endure is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a especially challenging season as the noises of people eating, drinking noisily and sniffling make her feel intense distress.
"I get this sensation of sudden panic, my entire being will just tighten and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to stop these noises."
Lottie has suffered from misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, particularly those coming from other people.
It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers reported a significant portion of people experience it.
Often it's sounds linked to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to cope. Typically, she would frequently go in a different room to escape problematic noises.
She notes her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Manage
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Picture Something Else: Imagination is key. Try to associate the specific noise causing distress with an unrelated image. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
