Yuletide Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman is looking forward to seeing her relatives during the festive period, but says a key strategy she'll cope is by using her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas can be a notably tough time as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and sniffling cause her intense distress.
"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just freeze and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these noises."
Lottie has experienced sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that causes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises coming from individuals.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers found almost one in five people suffer from it.
Typically it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, as well as things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous season can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, says currently her plan is to use headphones to cope. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to avoid distressing triggers.
She says her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the particular sound bothering you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your understanding of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
