The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman hopes for spending time with her relatives this Christmas, but says a primary method she'll endure is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas is a notably tough period as the sounds of other people chewing, sipping loudly and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this wave of instant dread, my entire being will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these triggers."
She has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that causes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, notably sounds produced by individuals.
The condition is widespread across the population. A study found nearly 20% people experience it.
Typically it's noises associated with eating or drinking that cause distress, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy time of the year can transform into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity from childhood, states the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to avoid distressing triggers.
She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There is pressure to be around family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Manage
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, according to experts.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Imagination is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound bothering you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or are troubled. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
