Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her relatives during the festive period, but notes a primary method she'll cope is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For her, this time of year can be a notably tough season as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and breathing heavily make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
The individual has lived with this condition for several years and for her that causes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, notably sounds made by other people.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Experts reported almost one in five people experience it.
Frequently it's sounds associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including 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 stressful and make you dread it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy season can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, explains her strategy is to put her earphones in to cope. Typically, she would often retreat in a different room to avoid distressing triggers.
She notes her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
For those affected then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. 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. Although the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
