Christmas Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie anticipates spending time with her loved ones during the festive period, but admits a primary method she'll endure is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult season as the noises of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel profound anxiety.
"I get this sensation of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to stop these sounds."
Lottie has suffered from this condition for several years and for her that causes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds made by other people.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers found almost one in five people experience it.
Frequently it's noises connected to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to cope. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to minimize triggering sounds.
She notes her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is key. Attempt to link the triggering sound causing distress with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your reaction of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
