Yuletide Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie anticipates being with her loved ones this Christmas, but admits a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by using her hearing protection - especially during Christmas dinner.
For her, Christmas often feels like a particularly difficult period as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and breathing heavily make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this sensation of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these noises."
The individual has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that makes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, especially noises made by those around you.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Experts discovered nearly 20% people experience it.
Frequently it's noises associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful season can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a powerful reaction that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to minimize distressing triggers.
She explains her condition is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Manage
For those affected then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Imagination is key. Try to associate the triggering sound causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
