Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by using her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the holiday meal.
For her, this time of year is a especially challenging season as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and nose-blowing trigger intense distress.
"I experience this feeling of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to manage these noises."
She has experienced misophonia since she was 16 and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds made by other people.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. A study reported almost one in five people are affected by it.
Typically it's sounds connected to bodily functions that cause distress, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can cause a powerful reaction that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Usually, she would often retreat in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.
She explains her condition is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then panic will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Cope
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Picture Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Attempt to link the specific noise causing distress with an unrelated image. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or could be emotional. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
