Christmas Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her family during the festive period, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by using her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.
For her, Christmas is a especially challenging season as the auditory triggers of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"There's this feeling of sudden panic, my whole body will just tighten and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these sounds."
She has lived with sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that causes the festive season "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by those around you.
It is prevalent across the population. Researchers reported nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Typically it's noises connected to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
Triggering Stress
The sufferer notes: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a powerful reaction that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, says currently her plan is to listen to music to cope. Usually, she would often retreat in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.
She notes her sensitivity is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"People assume you to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then the stress response will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Cope
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or could be emotional. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
