🔗 Share this article Christmas Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers. With time, individuals discover strategies to handle their condition. A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her family over the holidays, but notes a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner. For the 23-year-old, this time of year is a notably tough time as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her profound anxiety. "There's this wave of instant dread, my entire being will just freeze and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these sounds." Lottie has suffered from misophonia for several years and for her that causes the Christmas time "deeply taxing". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by those around you. It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers reported almost one in five people experience it. Typically it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking. A Source of Dread She explains: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it. "Those close to me are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to guarantee others enjoy themselves." So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for sufferers. Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely. Another individual is planning strategies to manage Christmas lunch. She, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, states her strategy is to listen to music to cope. Typically, she would frequently go in a different room to avoid problematic noises. She explains her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard". "People assume you to be around family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then the stress response will kick in. "To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience." A Few Techniques to Manage If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to experts. Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is essential. Attempt to link the specific noise 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 help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive. Create a Scenario: A further strategy 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, perhaps they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
With time, individuals discover strategies to handle their condition. A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her family over the holidays, but notes a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner. For the 23-year-old, this time of year is a notably tough time as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her profound anxiety. "There's this wave of instant dread, my entire being will just freeze and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these sounds." Lottie has suffered from misophonia for several years and for her that causes the Christmas time "deeply taxing". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by those around you. It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers reported almost one in five people experience it. Typically it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking. A Source of Dread She explains: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it. "Those close to me are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to guarantee others enjoy themselves." So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for sufferers. Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely. Another individual is planning strategies to manage Christmas lunch. She, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, states her strategy is to listen to music to cope. Typically, she would frequently go in a different room to avoid problematic noises. She explains her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard". "People assume you to be around family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then the stress response will kick in. "To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience." A Few Techniques to Manage If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to experts. Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is essential. Attempt to link the specific noise 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 help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive. Create a Scenario: A further strategy 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, perhaps they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.