The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her loved ones during the festive period, but notes a primary method she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year often feels like a particularly difficult time as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and breathing heavily make her feel profound anxiety.
"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tighten and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these triggers."
She has lived with sound sensitivity for several years and for her that renders the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds produced by other people.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers reported a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Typically it's noises linked to bodily functions that cause distress, along with things like crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful time of the year can quickly turn into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can provoke a visceral feeling that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, says her strategy is to use headphones to get through dinner. On any other day, she would often retreat in a separate space to escape triggering sounds.
She says her misophonia is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then panic will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Cope
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is key. Attempt to link the specific noise bothering you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or could be emotional. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
