The Holiday Season Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old hopes for being with her loved ones over the holidays, but admits a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year often feels like a notably tough season as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this sensation of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
The individual has suffered from this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from other people.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Researchers discovered almost one in five people are affected by it.
Often it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, including examples such as crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can transform into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can provoke a powerful reaction that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to get through dinner. On any other day, she would often retreat in a different room to escape distressing triggers.
She notes her misophonia is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then panic will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Manage
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, according to specialists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
