Yuletide Can Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old anticipates being with her relatives this Christmas, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner.
In her case, the holidays often feels like a notably tough time as the sounds of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel profound anxiety.
"There's this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tighten and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
The individual has experienced misophonia since she was 16 and for her that renders the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from other people.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. A study discovered almost one in five people suffer from it.
Typically it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy season can rapidly become a living nightmare for sufferers.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, says her strategy is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a different room to minimize triggering sounds.
She says her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then the stress response will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, 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 use to handle the situation, according to experts.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.