Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman is looking forward to being with her relatives over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by using her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal.
In her case, the holidays can be a particularly difficult season as the noises of people eating, sipping loudly and nose-blowing make her feel profound anxiety.
"I experience this sensation of instant dread, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to manage these triggers."
The individual has suffered from sound sensitivity for several years and for her that causes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, particularly those produced by those around you.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study reported almost one in five people are affected by it.
Often it's noises linked to eating or drinking that cause distress, as well as examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the most wonderful period can transform into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, explains her strategy is to use headphones to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to escape distressing triggers.
She notes her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to be around family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult 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 try to cope the situation, according to specialists.
- Picture Something Else: Imagination is key. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
