The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her family during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - notably for Christmas dinner.
For her, this time of year often feels like a especially challenging time as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this feeling of sudden panic, my every muscle will just freeze and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
The individual has experienced sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, notably sounds produced by other people.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts found nearly 20% people experience it.
Typically it's noises linked to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous period can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a visceral feeling that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, says the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to cope. On any other day, she would frequently go in a separate space to minimize problematic noises.
She notes her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There is pressure to be around family, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then panic will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Cope
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is key. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this 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. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
