Christmas Can Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her family over the holidays, but admits a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by using her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at Christmas dinner.
In her case, the holidays often feels like a notably tough season as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just freeze and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these triggers."
The individual has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that renders the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, particularly those produced by other people.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Experts reported a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Typically it's noises associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a powerful reaction that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, says currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to minimize triggering sounds.
She says her misophonia is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to be around family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is crucial. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or are troubled. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
