The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman anticipates seeing her loved ones over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by using her hearing protection - especially during the main festive feast.
In her case, this time of year is a especially challenging season as the sounds of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this sensation of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these triggers."
She has lived with this condition from a young age and for her that causes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those made by other people.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts found almost one in five people are affected by it.
Often it's noises associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, along with things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the most wonderful time of the year can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a visceral feeling that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to cope. Usually, she would often retreat in a separate space to minimize problematic noises.
She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
