Christmas Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her relatives this Christmas, but notes a key strategy she'll endure is by using her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year is a notably tough season as the sounds of other people chewing, slurping and breathing heavily make her feel intense distress.
"I get this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just tighten and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these noises."
The individual has suffered from misophonia for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those produced by other people.
It is prevalent across the population. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people experience it.
Often it's noises linked to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can transform into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can cause a strong emotional response that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, states the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to cope. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to escape distressing triggers.
She says her misophonia is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel awkward, 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 unreasonable 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 attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
