Yuletide Can Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman anticipates spending time with her loved ones this Christmas, but says one of the only ways she'll endure is by using her hearing protection - especially during Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas often feels like a notably tough season as the sounds of family members munching, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel intense distress.
"I get this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
The individual has suffered from this condition since she was 16 and for her that renders the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by other people.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people experience it.
Often it's sounds associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, explains her strategy is to put her earphones in to cope. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to avoid distressing triggers.
She says her condition is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then panic will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Handle It
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Imagine Something Else: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the triggering sound causing distress with a neutral concept. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect 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 having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
