The Holiday Season Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her family during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll cope is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for the main festive feast.
In her case, this time of year is a notably tough time as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and breathing heavily cause her profound anxiety.
"There's this sensation of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these noises."
She has lived with this condition from a young age and for her that causes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises coming from other people.
It is prevalent across the population. Researchers found a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Typically it's noises connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can rapidly become a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a powerful reaction that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to manage the meal. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to avoid distressing triggers.
She says her sensitivity is more intense around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Manage
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts.
- Visualise Something Else: Imagination is crucial. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise remains identical, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
