Christmas Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman anticipates spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her earplugs - notably for Christmas dinner.
In her case, this time of year is a notably tough season as the auditory triggers of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these sounds."
She has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that causes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds produced by other people.
It is prevalent across the population. Researchers reported nearly 20% people experience it.
Typically it's sounds connected to bodily functions that cause distress, as well as things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can rapidly become a living nightmare for sufferers.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape problematic noises.
She says her condition is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then panic will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is key. Attempt to link the triggering sound affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
