Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old hopes for being with her loved ones during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her hearing protection - especially during the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a notably tough season as the sounds of people eating, slurping and sniffling cause her intense distress.
"I experience this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these noises."
Lottie has lived with this condition from a young age and for her that makes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, particularly those made by those around you.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts found a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Often it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "There are 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 aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy time of the year can rapidly become a living nightmare for sufferers.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, states currently her plan is to listen to music to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to escape problematic noises.
She notes her condition is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to be around family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Manage
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Try to associate the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your reaction of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
