The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman hopes for being with her family during the festive period, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by using her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For her, this time of year often feels like a especially challenging time as the sounds of other people chewing, drinking noisily and breathing heavily trigger intense distress.
"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to stop these triggers."
She has experienced misophonia since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by those around you.
It is prevalent amongst adults. A study found nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Frequently it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, including examples such as crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My relatives are supportive, 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 make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful time of the year can transform into a source of agony for sufferers.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. Usually, she would often retreat in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.
She says her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
