🔗 Share this article Yuletide Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers. With time, people discover methods to handle their condition. A 23-year-old is looking forward to seeing her relatives during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll cope is by using her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast. For her, this time of year often feels like a notably tough time as the sounds of family members munching, drinking noisily and nose-blowing trigger extremely uncomfortable. "I experience this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these triggers." Lottie has lived with sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that renders the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, notably sounds coming from individuals. The condition is widespread in the UK. A study found almost one in five people are affected by it. Typically it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that cause distress, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking. 'Anxiety Inducing' She explains: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it. "My family are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly." So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous season can transform into a stressful ordeal for sufferers. Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether. A 21-year-old student is considering strategies to manage Christmas lunch. Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, says currently her plan is to put her earphones in to cope. On any other day, she would frequently go in a different room to avoid distressing triggers. She says her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult". "People assume you to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels. "The sensation is this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears 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." Several Strategies to Handle It For those affected then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists. Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the triggering sound affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful. Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant. Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or could be emotional. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
With time, people discover methods to handle their condition. A 23-year-old is looking forward to seeing her relatives during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll cope is by using her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast. For her, this time of year often feels like a notably tough time as the sounds of family members munching, drinking noisily and nose-blowing trigger extremely uncomfortable. "I experience this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these triggers." Lottie has lived with sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that renders the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, notably sounds coming from individuals. The condition is widespread in the UK. A study found almost one in five people are affected by it. Typically it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that cause distress, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking. 'Anxiety Inducing' She explains: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it. "My family are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly." So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous season can transform into a stressful ordeal for sufferers. Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether. A 21-year-old student is considering strategies to manage Christmas lunch. Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, says currently her plan is to put her earphones in to cope. On any other day, she would frequently go in a different room to avoid distressing triggers. She says her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult". "People assume you to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels. "The sensation is this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears 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." Several Strategies to Handle It For those affected then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists. Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the triggering sound affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful. Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant. Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or could be emotional. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.