A 23-year-old anticipates being with her family over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll endure is by using her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the main festive feast.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and nose-blowing trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my entire being will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."
She has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, particularly those produced by those around you.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. Experts found a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Often it's sounds linked to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.
A Source of Dread
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can transform into a source of agony for affected individuals.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a strong emotional response that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, explains currently her plan is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to avoid problematic noises.
She says her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There is pressure to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's draining.
"It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."
Three Ways to Manage
If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from specialists.
- Picture Something Else: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the particular sound affecting you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
