The Holiday Season Can Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old anticipates seeing her family this Christmas, but notes a primary method she'll endure is by using her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner.
For her, Christmas can be a especially challenging period as the noises of family members munching, drinking noisily and sniffling trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this wave of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
She has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that makes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, particularly those produced by other people.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers reported a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises linked to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, along with things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful season can transform into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can provoke a powerful reaction that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, states the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to avoid triggering sounds.
She explains her condition is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"I feel as if this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then the stress response will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is key. Attempt to link the particular sound causing distress with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
