Yuletide Can Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman hopes for being with her relatives during the festive period, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at the main festive feast.
In her case, this time of year is a especially challenging season as the auditory triggers of people eating, drinking noisily and breathing heavily cause her intense distress.
"I get this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tighten and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these noises."
The individual has suffered from this condition since she was 16 and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, notably sounds produced by those around you.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers reported nearly 20% people experience it.
Often it's sounds linked to bodily functions that cause distress, as well as examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a visceral feeling that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
The student, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity from childhood, states her strategy is to put her earphones in to cope. Typically, she would frequently go in a separate space to minimize triggering sounds.
She notes her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
For those affected then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Picture an Alternative: Imagination is crucial. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
