🔗 Share this article Yuletide Transforms Into a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers. With time, individuals develop ways to try to better manage their sound sensitivity. Lottie is looking forward to being with her family this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal. For the 23-year-old, Christmas is a particularly difficult time as the auditory triggers of people eating, drinking noisily and sniffling make her feel intense distress. "I experience this wave of instant dread, my entire being will just tighten and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these noises." The individual has experienced sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that makes the holiday period "deeply taxing". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds produced by other people. It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers reported nearly 20% people suffer from it. Frequently it's noises linked to bodily functions that cause distress, as well as examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping. 'Anxiety Inducing' The sufferer notes: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it. "Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy." So it's obvious why the most wonderful season can quickly turn into a living nightmare for affected individuals. Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether. Another individual is planning strategies to help her during the family meal. She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, states currently her plan is to use headphones to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers. She notes her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging". "There's an expectation to be around family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels. "The sensation is this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then panic will activate. "To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience." A Few Techniques to Manage If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from specialists. Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant. Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
With time, individuals develop ways to try to better manage their sound sensitivity. Lottie is looking forward to being with her family this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal. For the 23-year-old, Christmas is a particularly difficult time as the auditory triggers of people eating, drinking noisily and sniffling make her feel intense distress. "I experience this wave of instant dread, my entire being will just tighten and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these noises." The individual has experienced sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that makes the holiday period "deeply taxing". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds produced by other people. It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers reported nearly 20% people suffer from it. Frequently it's noises linked to bodily functions that cause distress, as well as examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping. 'Anxiety Inducing' The sufferer notes: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it. "Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy." So it's obvious why the most wonderful season can quickly turn into a living nightmare for affected individuals. Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether. Another individual is planning strategies to help her during the family meal. She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, states currently her plan is to use headphones to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers. She notes her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging". "There's an expectation to be around family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels. "The sensation is this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then panic will activate. "To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience." A Few Techniques to Manage If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from specialists. Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant. Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.