The Holiday Season Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her family this Christmas, but says one of the only ways she'll endure is by using her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal.
In her case, this time of year is a notably tough season as the sounds of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing cause her intense distress.
"I get this feeling of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these triggers."
She has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, particularly those produced by those around you.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Researchers reported nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Often it's noises associated with eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My relatives are supportive, 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 most wonderful period can rapidly become a source of agony for those with the condition.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a powerful reaction that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, states her strategy is to use headphones to cope. Typically, she would frequently go in a separate space to avoid distressing triggers.
She says her sensitivity is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Manage
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Attempt to link the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
