The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman anticipates spending time with her family during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays can be a especially challenging period as the noises of family members munching, slurping and nose-blowing trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this wave of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tighten and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to stop these noises."
She has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises produced by those around you.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Experts found a significant portion of people experience it.
Typically it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful time of the year can transform into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, says currently her plan is to listen to music to get through dinner. On any other day, she would often retreat in a different room to minimize distressing triggers.
She notes her condition is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Handle It
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, according to experts.
- Picture an Alternative: Imagination is crucial. Try to associate the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. 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 slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or maybe they're upset. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your reaction of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
