The Holiday Season Can Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her loved ones during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal.
In her case, this time of year often feels like a notably tough time as the noises of family members munching, drinking noisily and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this feeling of instant dread, my entire being will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to manage these triggers."
She has lived with sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that causes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by those around you.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers reported nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises linked to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can transform into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, says her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a separate space to avoid distressing triggers.
She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to be around family, and I want to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then the stress response will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Manage
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, according to experts.
- Imagine a Different Scenario: Imagination is crucial. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or could be emotional. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
