Christmas Transforms Into a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll endure is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the holiday meal.
For her, the holidays often feels like a especially challenging period as the sounds of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling make her feel intense distress.
"There's this sensation of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
Lottie has experienced sound sensitivity for several years and for her that renders the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises coming from those around you.
The condition is widespread in the UK. A study reported a significant portion of people experience it.
Frequently it's noises linked to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including examples such as chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to cope. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to avoid distressing triggers.
She notes her condition is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"People assume you to be around family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then panic will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Cope
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Creative thinking is essential. Attempt to link the triggering sound bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.