The Holiday Season Can Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to seeing her loved ones during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.
For her, this time of year can be a particularly difficult period as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and sniffling make her feel profound anxiety.
"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my whole body will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to stop these triggers."
The individual has experienced this condition for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds produced by individuals.
It is prevalent across the population. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds associated with bodily functions that cause distress, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy period can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a visceral feeling that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says her strategy is to listen to music to manage the meal. On any other day, she would frequently go in a different room to minimize distressing triggers.
She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to be around family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Manage
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or could be emotional. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
