Christmas Transforms Into a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her loved ones during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - notably for Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays can be a particularly difficult period as the sounds of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this sensation of sudden panic, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to manage these triggers."
The individual has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that makes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, especially noises made by those around you.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Researchers reported almost one in five people experience it.
Frequently it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, along with things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful season can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
The student, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, explains currently her plan is to use headphones to get through dinner. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape problematic noises.
She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the specific noise causing distress with something completely different. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or are troubled. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
