Christmas Can Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman anticipates being with her relatives during the festive period, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by using her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast.
In her case, the holidays is a especially challenging season as the noises of family members munching, drinking noisily and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."
The individual has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that causes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by individuals.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Researchers discovered almost one in five people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises linked to bodily functions that cause distress, as well as examples such as crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
Triggering Stress
Lottie says: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the most wonderful time of the year can transform into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, explains her strategy is to use headphones to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to escape problematic noises.
She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then the stress response will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Manage
For those affected then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to experts.
- Imagine Something Else: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the triggering sound affecting you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
