The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman anticipates spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but admits a key strategy she'll cope is by using her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner.
In her case, this time of year often feels like a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of people eating, drinking noisily and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this sensation of instant dread, my every muscle will just freeze and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to manage these triggers."
The individual has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that causes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, particularly those coming from those around you.
It's surprisingly common across the population. A study reported nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Frequently it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, including things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy season can quickly turn into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a visceral feeling that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers.
She notes her condition is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Handle It
For those affected then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, according to experts.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
