The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie is looking forward to being with her loved ones during the festive period, but notes a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her hearing protection - notably for Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays is a particularly difficult period as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this feeling of sudden panic, my whole body will just tense up and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these triggers."
She has lived with this condition for several years and for her that causes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, especially noises made by those around you.
It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers discovered almost one in five people are affected by it.
Frequently it's noises associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the most wonderful season can quickly turn into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
She, a university student, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, says currently her plan is to use headphones to manage the meal. On any other day, she would often retreat in a separate space to escape triggering sounds.
She notes her condition is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Manage
For those affected then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, according to experts.
- Visualise Something Else: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound affecting you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
