Yuletide Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her family over the holidays, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.
In her case, the holidays is a notably tough period as the sounds of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this sensation of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these noises."
The individual has experienced this condition since she was 16 and for her that renders the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, especially noises coming from those around you.
It is prevalent amongst adults. A study discovered nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Typically it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can provoke a powerful reaction that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, says the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to escape triggering sounds.
She says her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation 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 embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Manage
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Work on connecting the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your reaction of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
