Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman anticipates being 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 earplugs - especially during Christmas dinner.
In her case, this time of year is a particularly difficult period as the noises of other people chewing, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel profound anxiety.
"There's this wave of instant dread, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
She has experienced this condition for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises produced by those around you.
It's surprisingly common across the population. A study found nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Typically it's noises associated with eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, as well as things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can transform into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, explains her strategy is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. On any other day, she would often retreat in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.
She says her misophonia is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"It's like this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Cope
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to specialists.
- Imagine Something Else: Imagination is key. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or maybe they're upset. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your understanding of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
