The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her earplugs - notably for Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year is a especially challenging time as the auditory triggers of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this wave of instant dread, my entire being will just tighten and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these sounds."
The individual has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises produced by those around you.
It is prevalent amongst adults. A study discovered a significant portion of people experience it.
Often it's noises linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful season can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to minimize triggering sounds.
She explains her sensitivity is more intense around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then the stress response will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Handle It
For those affected then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is crucial. Try to associate the particular sound affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- 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. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
