🔗 Share this article The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia. Over the years, individuals have found methods to cope with their sound sensitivity. One young woman hopes for being with her relatives over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at the main festive feast. For the 23-year-old, this time of year is a especially challenging period as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel profound anxiety. "There's this wave of sudden panic, my entire being will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these triggers." She has lived with this condition from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "deeply taxing". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by individuals. The condition is widespread amongst adults. Experts discovered a significant portion of people are affected by it. Frequently it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping. A Source of Dread Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it. "My family are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to ensure everyone else is happy." So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful season can transform into a stressful ordeal for sufferers. Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a visceral feeling that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings. Jenna is already thinking about coping mechanisms to help her during the family meal. The student, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to avoid triggering sounds. She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging". "There is pressure to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "It's like this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will take over. "It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience." A Few Techniques to Cope If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from experts. Imagine an Alternative: Imagination is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive. Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
Over the years, individuals have found methods to cope with their sound sensitivity. One young woman hopes for being with her relatives over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at the main festive feast. For the 23-year-old, this time of year is a especially challenging period as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel profound anxiety. "There's this wave of sudden panic, my entire being will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these triggers." She has lived with this condition from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "deeply taxing". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by individuals. The condition is widespread amongst adults. Experts discovered a significant portion of people are affected by it. Frequently it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping. A Source of Dread Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it. "My family are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to ensure everyone else is happy." So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful season can transform into a stressful ordeal for sufferers. Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a visceral feeling that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings. Jenna is already thinking about coping mechanisms to help her during the family meal. The student, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to avoid triggering sounds. She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging". "There is pressure to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "It's like this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will take over. "It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience." A Few Techniques to Cope If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from experts. Imagine an Alternative: Imagination is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive. Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.