Christmas Can Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old anticipates spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas is a particularly difficult period as the sounds of other people chewing, sipping loudly and sniffling trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this sensation of sudden panic, my whole body will just tighten and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these triggers."
The individual has lived with sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, particularly those coming from individuals.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Researchers discovered a significant portion of people experience it.
Often it's noises linked to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's obvious why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for affected individuals.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states her strategy is to put her earphones in to cope. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to escape problematic noises.
She notes her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".
"There is pressure to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If you suffer then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists.
- Imagine Something Else: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique 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 person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
- Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
