The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old anticipates being with her relatives over the holidays, but says a key strategy she'll cope is by wearing her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast.
For her, this time of year often feels like a particularly difficult time as the noises of family members munching, drinking noisily and sniffling make her feel intense distress.
"I experience this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just tense up and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to manage these noises."
She has suffered from sound sensitivity for several years and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds produced by individuals.
The condition is widespread across the population. Researchers reported a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Often it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous season can rapidly become a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, says currently her plan is to listen to music to cope. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to avoid distressing triggers.
She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Visualise Something Else: Imagination is key. Attempt to link the triggering sound affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your reaction of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
