Christmas Transforms Into a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her family this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by using her earplugs - notably for Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year can be a particularly difficult period as the sounds of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling make her feel profound anxiety.
"I experience this sensation of sudden panic, my whole body will just tighten and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
The individual has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, particularly those produced by those around you.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Experts discovered almost one in five people suffer from it.
Frequently it's noises linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful season can rapidly become a living nightmare for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a visceral feeling that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a university student, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to get through dinner. On any other day, she would often retreat in a separate space to avoid triggering sounds.
She notes her condition is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Manage
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.
- Visualise Something Else: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
