The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her relatives during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at the main festive feast.
For her, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult season as the auditory triggers of family members munching, sipping loudly and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety.
"I get this wave of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."
The individual has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that causes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, particularly those produced by individuals.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts found a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Often it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, including things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for affected individuals.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a strong emotional response that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to cope. Typically, she would often retreat in a separate space to avoid distressing triggers.
She explains her condition is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then the stress response will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Cope
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Imagine an Alternative: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the triggering sound bothering you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or could be emotional. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your interpretation of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
