Christmas Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her loved ones during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year often feels like a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this sensation of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to stop these sounds."
The individual has lived with this condition from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, particularly those produced by those around you.
It is prevalent across the population. Researchers discovered almost one in five people suffer from it.
Often it's noises linked to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, including examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy season can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, explains her strategy is to listen to music to cope. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to avoid problematic noises.
She explains her condition is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to be around family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Manage
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to experts.
- Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is essential. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
