Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie hopes for being with her loved ones over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year is a especially challenging period as the noises of people eating, sipping loudly and nose-blowing trigger profound anxiety.
"I get this sensation of sudden panic, my entire being will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to manage these noises."
She has suffered from misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises produced by other people.
It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, including things like chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a strong emotional response that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, states the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a different room to avoid problematic noises.
She notes her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then panic will activate.
"It may seem 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 you suffer then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists.
- Picture Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the specific noise bothering you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
