Yuletide Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old hopes for being with her loved ones during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast.
In her case, Christmas is a especially challenging season as the auditory triggers of family members munching, slurping and sniffling trigger intense distress.
"I get this sensation of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to stop these triggers."
She has suffered from sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, especially noises produced by those around you.
It is prevalent across the population. A study found almost one in five people experience it.
Frequently it's noises linked to eating or drinking that cause distress, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous period can transform into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
She, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, explains her strategy is to use headphones to get through dinner. Typically, she would frequently go in a different room to minimize problematic noises.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will take over.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Cope
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the particular sound bothering you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. By joining in, instead of 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.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or could be emotional. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
