The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her family this Christmas, but notes a primary method she'll endure is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.
In her case, Christmas is a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
The individual has lived with this condition from a young age and for her that causes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by individuals.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers reported nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Often it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that cause distress, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are supportive, 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 ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, states currently her plan is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a different room to minimize triggering sounds.
She says her sensitivity is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then the stress response will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
Three Ways to Manage
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Picture Something Else: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or are troubled. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your understanding of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
