Christmas Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman anticipates seeing her loved ones over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by using her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast.
For her, the holidays is a especially challenging time as the auditory triggers of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
The individual has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that causes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, particularly those produced by other people.
It is prevalent in the UK. Experts discovered nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Frequently it's noises associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including things like crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are supportive, 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 time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for affected individuals.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to avoid triggering sounds.
She says her condition is worse around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Handle It
For those affected then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is key. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with something completely different. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or could be emotional. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your understanding of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
