Yuletide Transforms Into a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to seeing her loved ones over the holidays, but admits a key strategy she'll endure is by using her earplugs - notably for Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas often feels like a notably tough time as the noises of family members munching, slurping and sniffling make her feel intense distress.
"There's this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to manage these sounds."
She has lived with sound sensitivity for several years and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by individuals.
It is prevalent in the UK. Experts found almost one in five people are affected by it.
Often it's noises connected to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the most wonderful season can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can cause a strong emotional response that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to minimize problematic noises.
She explains her condition is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Cope
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Try to associate the particular sound causing distress with an unrelated image. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or could be emotional. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your understanding of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
