The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her loved ones over the holidays, but says a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays is a notably tough period as the sounds of other people chewing, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel intense distress.
"There's this wave of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to stop these noises."
The individual has suffered from this condition for several years and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds coming from other people.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers discovered a significant portion of people experience it.
Often it's sounds associated with bodily functions that cause distress, including things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can transform into a source of agony for sufferers.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can trigger a powerful reaction that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would often retreat in a different room to minimize triggering sounds.
She notes her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Cope
For those affected then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, according to specialists.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Imagination is key. Attempt to link the specific noise causing distress with a neutral concept. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your reaction of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
