Christmas Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman anticipates being with her loved ones during the festive period, but notes a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her earplugs - especially during Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas often feels like a notably tough season as the noises of family members munching, drinking noisily and nose-blowing trigger profound anxiety.
"I get this sensation of instant dread, my entire being will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to manage these sounds."
The individual has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that makes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from other people.
It's surprisingly common across the population. A study found almost one in five people experience it.
Frequently it's noises associated with bodily functions that cause distress, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can rapidly become a source of agony for those with the condition.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, states her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds.
She says her sensitivity is more intense around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Cope
For those affected then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the triggering sound causing distress with something completely different. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
