The Holiday Season Can Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her loved ones over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her hearing protection - especially during Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas is a particularly difficult season as the auditory triggers of people eating, sipping loudly and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety.
"I get this wave of instant dread, my entire being will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
The individual has suffered from misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, particularly those produced by other people.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Experts discovered a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises linked to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for those with the condition.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, states her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. Typically, she would frequently go in a different room to escape triggering sounds.
She notes her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then panic will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Cope
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Picture an Alternative: Imagination is key. Try to associate the specific noise causing distress with something completely different. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
