Christmas Transforms Into a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old anticipates spending time with her family during the festive period, but admits a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her hearing protection - especially during the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas can be a particularly difficult time as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and breathing heavily make her feel intense distress.
"I get this feeling of sudden panic, my entire being will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
Lottie has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that causes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by other people.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. A study discovered nearly 20% people experience it.
Frequently it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy time of the year can transform into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, says her strategy is to use headphones to cope. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.
She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then the stress response will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Manage
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Picture Something Else: Mental imagery is key. Attempt to link the specific noise causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
