Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old hopes for being with her family during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll endure is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - especially during Christmas dinner.
For her, the holidays is a notably tough season as the sounds of other people chewing, sipping loudly and sniffling trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just freeze and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these triggers."
She has lived with sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that renders the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises coming from those around you.
It is prevalent amongst adults. A study found almost one in five people experience it.
Often it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
Lottie says: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous period can quickly turn into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a powerful reaction that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to avoid problematic noises.
She explains her sensitivity is more intense around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then the stress response will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Cope
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Imagination is key. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or could be emotional. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise remains identical, your reaction of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
