Yuletide Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman hopes for spending time with her family this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by using her hearing protection - notably for Christmas dinner.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year is a notably tough time as the noises of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily make her feel profound anxiety.
"I experience 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 sounds."
She has suffered from this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from those around you.
It is prevalent across the population. Researchers found almost one in five people are affected by it.
Typically it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
She, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, says her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.
She says her condition is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas 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 uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from experts.
- Imagine an Alternative: Creative thinking is essential. Try to associate the specific noise causing distress with something completely different. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your understanding of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
