Christmas Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie hopes for seeing her family during the festive period, but notes a key strategy she'll cope is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at the holiday meal.
For her, Christmas is a particularly difficult time as the noises of family members munching, drinking noisily and sniffling make her feel intense distress.
"I experience this sensation of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
The individual has suffered from this condition for several years and for her that causes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, particularly those produced by those around you.
It is prevalent across the population. Experts found a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Often it's noises connected to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My family 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 sacrificing my own sanity to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can transform into a source of agony for sufferers.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can cause a strong emotional response that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, says currently her plan is to use headphones to manage the meal. On any other day, she would frequently go in a different room to avoid problematic noises.
She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
For those affected then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, according to experts.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Try to associate the particular sound affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or are troubled. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
