The Holiday Season Can Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but says one of the only ways she'll endure is by wearing her earplugs - notably for the holiday meal.
In her case, Christmas can be a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of family members munching, slurping and breathing heavily cause her profound anxiety.
"I experience this feeling of sudden panic, my entire being will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these noises."
The individual has lived with this condition for several years and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, especially noises produced by individuals.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts found a significant portion of people experience it.
Typically it's noises associated with eating or drinking that cause distress, as well as things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous period can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a visceral feeling that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to cope. On any other day, she would often retreat in a different room to escape distressing triggers.
She notes her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Manage
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, according to experts.
- Imagine an Alternative: Imagination is key. Work on connecting the particular sound bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. Through participation, instead of 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 somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
