🔗 Share this article Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia. Over the years, individuals develop strategies to handle their condition. A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her loved ones this Christmas, but says a primary method she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the main festive feast. For her, Christmas is a particularly difficult time as the noises of family members munching, slurping and nose-blowing cause her intense distress. "I experience this feeling of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds." The individual has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises produced by other people. It is prevalent across the population. Researchers reported nearly 20% people experience it. Often it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that cause distress, including examples such as chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping. 'Anxiety Inducing' She explains: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you fear it. "My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure everyone else is happy." So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy season can rapidly become a living nightmare for affected individuals. Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings. Another individual is already thinking about coping mechanisms to manage the holiday dinner. Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. Typically, she would frequently go in a different room to escape triggering sounds. She says her misophonia is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging". "People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "It's like this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then panic will kick in. "It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience." Several Strategies to Manage For those affected then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists. Visualise an Alternative: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat. Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive. Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
Over the years, individuals develop strategies to handle their condition. A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her loved ones this Christmas, but says a primary method she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the main festive feast. For her, Christmas is a particularly difficult time as the noises of family members munching, slurping and nose-blowing cause her intense distress. "I experience this feeling of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds." The individual has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises produced by other people. It is prevalent across the population. Researchers reported nearly 20% people experience it. Often it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that cause distress, including examples such as chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping. 'Anxiety Inducing' She explains: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you fear it. "My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure everyone else is happy." So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy season can rapidly become a living nightmare for affected individuals. Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings. Another individual is already thinking about coping mechanisms to manage the holiday dinner. Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. Typically, she would frequently go in a different room to escape triggering sounds. She says her misophonia is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging". "People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "It's like this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then panic will kick in. "It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience." Several Strategies to Manage For those affected then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists. Visualise an Alternative: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat. Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive. Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.