Yuletide Can Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old anticipates seeing her family over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the holiday meal.
In her case, Christmas often feels like a notably tough time as the sounds of other people chewing, slurping and breathing heavily make her feel intense distress.
"I get this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to manage these triggers."
The individual has suffered from this condition for several years and for her that makes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises produced by other people.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts reported almost one in five people experience it.
Often it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, along with examples such as crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful season can rapidly become a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a visceral feeling that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says her strategy is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to escape problematic noises.
She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Handle It
For those affected then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.
- Picture Something Else: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
