The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
Lottie anticipates spending time with her loved ones this Christmas, but notes a primary method she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - especially during Christmas dinner.
For her, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging time as the noises of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling trigger profound anxiety.
"I get this feeling of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to manage these sounds."
Lottie has suffered from sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds made by those around you.
It's surprisingly common across the population. A study found almost one in five people experience it.
Typically it's noises linked to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, along with things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful season can transform into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a visceral feeling that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, says currently her plan is to listen to music to cope. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.
She says her sensitivity is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then the stress response will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Manage
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Visualise an Alternative: Imagination is key. Attempt to link the specific noise bothering you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.