Christmas Transforms Into a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman is looking forward to being with her relatives this Christmas, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas can be a particularly difficult period as the auditory triggers of people eating, sipping loudly and breathing heavily trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these noises."
She has suffered from sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that causes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, particularly those coming from those around you.
The condition is widespread in the UK. A study reported a significant portion of people experience it.
Typically it's noises connected to eating or drinking that cause distress, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous period can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, states her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize problematic noises.
She says her misophonia is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to be around family, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then the stress response will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Cope
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Imagine Something Else: Imagination is key. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best 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 aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.