Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her family this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas can be a especially challenging time as the noises of other people chewing, sipping loudly and breathing heavily trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this wave of instant dread, my whole body will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these noises."
She has suffered from misophonia for several years and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, notably sounds produced by individuals.
The condition is widespread in the UK. A study found nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Typically it's noises connected to bodily functions that cause distress, as well as examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous season can transform into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, explains her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to avoid distressing triggers.
She explains her sensitivity is more intense around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to be around family, and I want to, but it's draining.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Handle It
For those affected then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
