🔗 Share this article The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers. Through experience, sufferers have found strategies to handle their sound sensitivity. Lottie anticipates spending time with her family during the festive period, but notes a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for the main festive feast. For her, the holidays can be a particularly difficult time as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling make her feel intense distress. "I experience this wave of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these triggers." The individual has suffered from misophonia for several years and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, particularly those made by other people. It's surprisingly common amongst adults. A study found nearly 20% people experience it. Often it's noises associated with bodily functions that cause distress, along with examples such as crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping. Triggering Stress The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it. "My relatives are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee others enjoy themselves." So it's clear why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals. Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even result in them skipping events entirely. A 21-year-old student is already thinking about ways to manage the family meal. The student, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to avoid triggering sounds. She says her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult". "People assume you to socialize with family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "It's like this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will kick in. "It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it." Several Strategies to Manage For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by specialists. Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is key. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant. Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or are troubled. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
Through experience, sufferers have found strategies to handle their sound sensitivity. Lottie anticipates spending time with her family during the festive period, but notes a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for the main festive feast. For her, the holidays can be a particularly difficult time as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling make her feel intense distress. "I experience this wave of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these triggers." The individual has suffered from misophonia for several years and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, particularly those made by other people. It's surprisingly common amongst adults. A study found nearly 20% people experience it. Often it's noises associated with bodily functions that cause distress, along with examples such as crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping. Triggering Stress The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it. "My relatives are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee others enjoy themselves." So it's clear why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals. Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even result in them skipping events entirely. A 21-year-old student is already thinking about ways to manage the family meal. The student, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to avoid triggering sounds. She says her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult". "People assume you to socialize with family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "It's like this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will kick in. "It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it." Several Strategies to Manage For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by specialists. Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is key. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant. Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or are troubled. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.