🔗 Share this article The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers. Through experience, individuals develop strategies to cope with their condition. A 23-year-old hopes for being with her family during the festive period, but notes a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner. In her case, Christmas can be a notably tough time as the sounds of people eating, drinking noisily and nose-blowing trigger intense distress. "I get this sensation of instant dread, my whole body will just tense up and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these triggers." Lottie has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that makes the festive season "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, especially noises coming from other people. It is prevalent across the population. Researchers discovered a significant portion of people experience it. Typically it's sounds connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking. 'Anxiety Inducing' Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you fear 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 internal conflict of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly." So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous period can quickly turn into a source of agony for those with the condition. Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can cause a visceral feeling that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether. A 21-year-old student is planning ways to manage the holiday dinner. She, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains her strategy is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize triggering sounds. She says her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "difficult". "People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels. "It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then panic will activate. "It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it." Several Strategies to Cope For those affected then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists. Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the specific noise causing distress with something completely different. 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 isn't harmful. Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, 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 create a little story about why the person creating the sound is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
Through experience, individuals develop strategies to cope with their condition. A 23-year-old hopes for being with her family during the festive period, but notes a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner. In her case, Christmas can be a notably tough time as the sounds of people eating, drinking noisily and nose-blowing trigger intense distress. "I get this sensation of instant dread, my whole body will just tense up and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these triggers." Lottie has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that makes the festive season "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, especially noises coming from other people. It is prevalent across the population. Researchers discovered a significant portion of people experience it. Typically it's sounds connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking. 'Anxiety Inducing' Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you fear 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 internal conflict of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly." So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous period can quickly turn into a source of agony for those with the condition. Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can cause a visceral feeling that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether. A 21-year-old student is planning ways to manage the holiday dinner. She, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains her strategy is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize triggering sounds. She says her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "difficult". "People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels. "It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then panic will activate. "It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it." Several Strategies to Cope For those affected then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists. Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the specific noise causing distress with something completely different. 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 isn't harmful. Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, 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 create a little story about why the person creating the sound is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.