The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman anticipates spending time with her relatives this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by using her hearing protection - notably for the main festive feast.
In her case, Christmas is a particularly difficult season as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and nose-blowing trigger intense distress.
"I get this sensation of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to manage these triggers."
The individual has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that causes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from other people.
The condition is widespread across the population. A study discovered nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Often it's noises associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful season can rapidly become a source of agony for those with the condition.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, states her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would often retreat in a separate space to minimize distressing triggers.
She notes her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays 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 sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
For those affected then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the particular sound bothering you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By joining in, rather than 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.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
