Christmas Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman anticipates being with her loved ones over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the holiday meal.
In her case, the holidays can be a notably tough period as the sounds of people eating, drinking noisily and sniffling make her feel profound anxiety.
"I experience this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these triggers."
She has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that causes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises coming from other people.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers found nearly 20% people experience it.
Often it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.
She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Imagination is essential. Try to associate the particular sound causing distress with something completely different. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
