The Holiday Season Can Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to seeing her relatives during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, this time of year is a especially challenging season as the noises of family members munching, slurping and breathing heavily trigger intense distress.
"I get this sensation of sudden panic, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to stop these triggers."
The individual has lived with this condition from a young age and for her that causes the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by other people.
The condition is widespread in the UK. A study found a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Often it's noises associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including examples such as chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous period can transform into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to cope. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.
She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then the stress response will take over.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Manage
For those affected then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your understanding of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
