Christmas Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old hopes for being with her family this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas can be a particularly difficult season as the noises of other people chewing, drinking noisily and nose-blowing trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this sensation of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just freeze and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
Lottie has experienced this condition since she was 16 and for her that causes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those produced by individuals.
It is prevalent across the population. Experts found a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid 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 really big battle of enduring my distress to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can cause a visceral feeling that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, says her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid problematic noises.
She says her condition is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then the stress response will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Manage
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Imagine Something Else: Mental imagery is crucial. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or could be emotional. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
