Christmas Transforms Into a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman hopes for being with her loved ones this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by using her hearing protection - notably for the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year is a especially challenging period as the sounds of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel profound anxiety.
"I experience this feeling of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these noises."
The individual has suffered from sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, especially noises produced by other people.
It is prevalent amongst adults. A study reported nearly 20% people experience it.
Typically it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including things like crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, states the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to manage the meal. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to avoid triggering sounds.
She says her condition is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Imagine Something Else: Imagination is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your reaction of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
