Christmas Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old anticipates being with her relatives during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll endure is by wearing her earplugs - particularly at the holiday meal.
For her, Christmas is a particularly difficult season as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this feeling of sudden panic, my whole body will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
The individual has suffered from sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that causes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, particularly those coming from other people.
The condition is widespread across the population. Experts reported nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Often it's noises associated with bodily functions that cause distress, as well as examples such as chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy season can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can provoke a powerful reaction that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to manage the meal. On any other day, she would often retreat in a different room to avoid problematic noises.
She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then the stress response will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Picture Something Else: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound causing distress with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at 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.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or are troubled. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your reaction of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.