Yuletide Transforms Into a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to seeing her loved ones over the holidays, but says a key strategy she'll cope is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For her, the holidays can be a especially challenging time as the sounds of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this feeling of sudden panic, my entire being will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
She has suffered from sound sensitivity for several years and for her that renders the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by those around you.
The condition is widespread across the population. A study found a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Often it's sounds associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including things like chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous season can transform into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a visceral feeling that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, states her strategy is to listen to music to cope. On any other day, she would often retreat in a different room to minimize distressing triggers.
She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Cope
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the specific noise causing distress with something completely different. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or could be emotional. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your reaction of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
