Yuletide Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman hopes for seeing her loved ones during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll cope is by relying on her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal.
In her case, Christmas often feels like a notably tough period as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
She has suffered from sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, particularly those coming from those around you.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Experts reported a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Frequently it's noises associated with bodily functions that cause distress, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous season can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a separate space to escape problematic noises.
She says her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Handle It
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
