Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her relatives over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal.
For her, Christmas is a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these noises."
She has suffered from this condition since she was 16 and for her that causes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by those around you.
It is prevalent in the UK. Experts reported almost one in five people are affected by it.
Often it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can transform into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a university student, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, explains her strategy is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers.
She notes her condition is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to be around family, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Handle It
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, according to experts.
- Visualise Something Else: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the triggering sound causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your understanding of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
