The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her family during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her hearing protection - especially during Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year can be a particularly difficult season as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel intense distress.
"There's this sensation of sudden panic, my entire being will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these triggers."
She has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, particularly those coming from other people.
It is prevalent amongst adults. A study found a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Typically it's sounds linked to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee others enjoy themselves."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can transform into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a visceral feeling that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a university student, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, states the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize problematic noises.
She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to be around family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Manage
For those affected then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Imagination is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your understanding of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
