Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old anticipates spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but admits a key strategy she'll cope is by relying on her earplugs - notably for the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays is a notably tough time as the noises of family members munching, drinking noisily and nose-blowing trigger intense distress.
"There's this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these triggers."
The individual has lived with sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, particularly those coming from other people.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers reported nearly 20% people experience it.
Often it's noises linked to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to get through dinner. Typically, she would often retreat in a separate space to avoid problematic noises.
She notes her condition is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then panic will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Imagination is key. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your interpretation of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
