Christmas Can Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll cope is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal.
In her case, the holidays can be a particularly difficult season as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, sipping loudly and breathing heavily make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this wave of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
The individual has experienced sound sensitivity for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from other people.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers found nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Frequently it's sounds connected to bodily functions that cause distress, along with things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.
Triggering Stress
She explains: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the most wonderful season can transform into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
She, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to escape problematic noises.
She notes her condition is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound causing distress with an unrelated image. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or maybe they're upset. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your understanding of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
