Yuletide Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.
For her, Christmas is a particularly difficult time as the noises of people eating, sipping loudly and sniffling cause her intense distress.
"I experience this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these triggers."
She has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, particularly those made by those around you.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Researchers reported a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Typically it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous season can transform into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a powerful reaction that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, states currently her plan is to listen to music to cope. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to avoid triggering sounds.
She says her condition is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Cope
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the particular sound causing distress with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.