🔗 Share this article The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia. Over the years, sufferers develop strategies to handle their sound sensitivity. One young woman is looking forward to being with her loved ones during the festive period, but notes a primary method she'll endure is by using her hearing protection - notably for Christmas dinner. In her case, Christmas is a especially challenging season as the noises of people eating, drinking noisily and sniffling trigger extremely uncomfortable. "There's this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these sounds." The individual has experienced misophonia since she was 16 and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by other people. The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study found almost one in five people are affected by it. Frequently it's noises connected to bodily functions that cause distress, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping. 'Anxiety Inducing' Lottie says: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it. "My relatives are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to ensure the event goes smoothly." So it's clear why the most wonderful season can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers. Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether. A 21-year-old student is already thinking about ways to get her through Christmas lunch. She, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, explains her strategy is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a separate space to escape distressing triggers. She explains her misophonia is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging". "There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining. "I feel as if this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then panic will kick in. "It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it." A Few Techniques to Manage If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by experts. Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is crucial. Attempt to link the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected. Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
Over the years, sufferers develop strategies to handle their sound sensitivity. One young woman is looking forward to being with her loved ones during the festive period, but notes a primary method she'll endure is by using her hearing protection - notably for Christmas dinner. In her case, Christmas is a especially challenging season as the noises of people eating, drinking noisily and sniffling trigger extremely uncomfortable. "There's this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these sounds." The individual has experienced misophonia since she was 16 and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by other people. The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study found almost one in five people are affected by it. Frequently it's noises connected to bodily functions that cause distress, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping. 'Anxiety Inducing' Lottie says: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it. "My relatives are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to ensure the event goes smoothly." So it's clear why the most wonderful season can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers. Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether. A 21-year-old student is already thinking about ways to get her through Christmas lunch. She, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, explains her strategy is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a separate space to escape distressing triggers. She explains her misophonia is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging". "There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining. "I feel as if this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then panic will kick in. "It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it." A Few Techniques to Manage If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by experts. Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is crucial. Attempt to link the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected. Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.