Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
A 23-year-old anticipates seeing her relatives over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her earplugs - notably for the main festive feast.
In her case, the holidays often feels like a especially challenging period as the noises of other people chewing, drinking noisily and nose-blowing cause her intense distress.
"There's this feeling of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these noises."
She has suffered from sound sensitivity for several years and for her that causes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, notably sounds coming from those around you.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers discovered almost one in five people suffer from it.
Often it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My family are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, states her strategy is to put her earphones in to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to minimize problematic noises.
She explains her condition is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"It's like this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
For those affected then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Imagine Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the particular sound bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
- Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
