Yuletide Can Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie anticipates spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll endure is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the main festive feast.
For her, this time of year can be a notably tough season as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and sniffling trigger intense distress.
"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tighten and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to manage these noises."
Lottie has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, particularly those coming from those around you.
It is prevalent across the population. A study found nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Often it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, along with examples such as chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy time of the year can transform into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
She, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to get through dinner. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize problematic noises.
She says her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Manage
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is crucial. Attempt to link the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or could be emotional. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your understanding of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
