Christmas Can Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old anticipates spending time with her relatives this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the holiday meal.
For her, this time of year often feels like a notably tough period as the sounds of other people chewing, sipping loudly and breathing heavily trigger intense distress.
"I experience this wave of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
The individual has lived with sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, especially noises made by individuals.
The condition is widespread across the population. Researchers found nearly 20% people experience it.
Frequently it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can rapidly become a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a visceral feeling that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
The student, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, says her strategy is to listen to music to manage the meal. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid problematic noises.
She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to be around family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then the stress response will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Manage
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or could be emotional. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
