Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her family this Christmas, but notes a primary method she'll cope is by using her hearing protection - especially during the main festive feast.
For her, the holidays is a particularly difficult time as the auditory triggers of people eating, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this wave of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these noises."
She has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that makes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by other people.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Experts found almost one in five people are affected by it.
Typically it's sounds linked to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, along with things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing 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 really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy season can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, says currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a separate space to avoid problematic noises.
She says her sensitivity is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There is pressure to be around family, and I want to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound bothering you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
