Christmas Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman is looking forward to seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her hearing protection - especially during the holiday meal.
In her case, the holidays can be a particularly difficult period as the sounds of family members munching, sipping loudly and breathing heavily trigger intense distress.
"I get this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
She has experienced this condition since she was 16 and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds made by other people.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Experts found nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Typically it's sounds connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, states the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Usually, she would often retreat in a quiet area to minimize problematic noises.
She explains her misophonia is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Manage
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Picture Something Else: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or are troubled. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
