Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman is looking forward to being with her relatives over the holidays, but says a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas often feels like a notably tough season as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, sipping loudly and breathing heavily make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this sensation of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
She has suffered from this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds made by those around you.
The condition is widespread in the UK. A study discovered a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Frequently it's sounds associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy time of the year can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can provoke a visceral feeling that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
She, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, explains her strategy is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.
She says her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
For those affected then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.
- Imagine Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
