The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll endure is by using her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal.
In her case, this time of year is a particularly difficult period as the sounds of family members munching, sipping loudly and breathing heavily trigger extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these triggers."
The individual has experienced this condition since she was 16 and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises produced by those around you.
It is prevalent amongst adults. A study reported a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Typically it's noises connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to ensure everyone else is happy."
So it's clear why the most wonderful time of the year can rapidly become a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, states her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a different room to minimize problematic noises.
She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then panic will activate.
"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."
A Few Techniques to Manage
For those affected then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists.
- Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is essential. Work on connecting the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your reaction of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
