Christmas Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman hopes for spending time with her family over the holidays, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal.
For her, the holidays is a especially challenging season as the auditory triggers of people eating, sipping loudly and sniffling trigger profound anxiety.
"There's this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these triggers."
She has suffered from this condition since she was 16 and for her that causes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, particularly those produced by other people.
It is prevalent amongst adults. A study discovered nearly 20% people experience it.
Often it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My relatives are understanding, 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 the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful period can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a powerful reaction that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a university student, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to cope. Typically, she would often retreat in a different room to avoid triggering sounds.
She explains her sensitivity is more intense around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Cope
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or could be emotional. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your reaction of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
