🔗 Share this article Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers. With time, sufferers have found methods to try to better manage their sound sensitivity. A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her family over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner. In her case, Christmas is a especially challenging time as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and breathing heavily cause her extremely uncomfortable. "I get this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these sounds." She has suffered from misophonia from a young age and for her that makes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, notably sounds coming from those around you. It is prevalent across the population. A study found nearly 20% people are affected by it. Often it's sounds connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking. 'Anxiety Inducing' Lottie says: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it. "My family are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to make sure the event goes smoothly." So it's obvious why the most wonderful time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers. Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a powerful reaction that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings. Another individual is already thinking about coping mechanisms to help her during Christmas lunch. She, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, says her strategy is to listen to music to cope. On any other day, she would frequently go in a different room to escape problematic noises. She explains her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard". "People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over. "It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience." Several Strategies to Manage If you suffer then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists. Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful. Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive. Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or are troubled. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
With time, sufferers have found methods to try to better manage their sound sensitivity. A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her family over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner. In her case, Christmas is a especially challenging time as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and breathing heavily cause her extremely uncomfortable. "I get this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these sounds." She has suffered from misophonia from a young age and for her that makes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, notably sounds coming from those around you. It is prevalent across the population. A study found nearly 20% people are affected by it. Often it's sounds connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking. 'Anxiety Inducing' Lottie says: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it. "My family are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to make sure the event goes smoothly." So it's obvious why the most wonderful time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers. Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a powerful reaction that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings. Another individual is already thinking about coping mechanisms to help her during Christmas lunch. She, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, says her strategy is to listen to music to cope. On any other day, she would frequently go in a different room to escape problematic noises. She explains her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard". "People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over. "It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience." Several Strategies to Manage If you suffer then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists. Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful. Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive. Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or are troubled. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.