The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old anticipates being with her relatives over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner.
In her case, the holidays can be a notably tough season as the sounds of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily trigger intense distress.
"There's this feeling of sudden panic, my entire being will just tighten and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
She has lived with misophonia since she was 16 and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises coming from those around you.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers found a significant portion of people experience it.
Frequently it's noises associated with eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful period can transform into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can provoke a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would frequently go in a different room to minimize triggering sounds.
She says her condition is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Cope
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Visualise Something Else: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
