🔗 Share this article Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia. Through experience, people have found strategies to handle their sound sensitivity. Lottie is looking forward to being with her family this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll cope is by using her earplugs - especially during Christmas dinner. For her, the holidays often feels like a notably tough time as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily make her feel profound anxiety. "There's this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these triggers." Lottie has suffered from sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that causes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, particularly those coming from those around you. It's surprisingly common amongst adults. A study discovered nearly 20% people experience it. Often it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking. 'Anxiety Inducing' She explains: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it. "My family are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly." So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition. Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a powerful reaction that can even lead to them skipping events entirely. Another individual is already thinking about coping mechanisms to get her through the holiday dinner. The student, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, says the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to get through dinner. Typically, she would often retreat in a separate space to avoid problematic noises. She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging". "There is pressure to be around family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then panic will activate. "To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it." Several Strategies to Cope For those affected then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to clinical psychologists. Visualise a Different Scenario: Imagination is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral. Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive. Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or are troubled. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
Through experience, people have found strategies to handle their sound sensitivity. Lottie is looking forward to being with her family this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll cope is by using her earplugs - especially during Christmas dinner. For her, the holidays often feels like a notably tough time as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily make her feel profound anxiety. "There's this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these triggers." Lottie has suffered from sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that causes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, particularly those coming from those around you. It's surprisingly common amongst adults. A study discovered nearly 20% people experience it. Often it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking. 'Anxiety Inducing' She explains: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it. "My family are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly." So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition. Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a powerful reaction that can even lead to them skipping events entirely. Another individual is already thinking about coping mechanisms to get her through the holiday dinner. The student, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, says the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to get through dinner. Typically, she would often retreat in a separate space to avoid problematic noises. She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging". "There is pressure to be around family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then panic will activate. "To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it." Several Strategies to Cope For those affected then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to clinical psychologists. Visualise a Different Scenario: Imagination is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral. Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive. Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or are troubled. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.