Yuletide Transforms Into a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie hopes for being with her loved ones over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll endure is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays can be a particularly difficult season as the sounds of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
The individual has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that causes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, especially noises produced by those around you.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study reported a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous period can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a visceral feeling that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, explains her strategy is to put her earphones in to cope. Usually, she would often retreat in a separate space to escape distressing triggers.
She notes her misophonia is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"People assume you to be around family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.