🔗 Share this article Christmas Can Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia. With time, people develop strategies to try to better manage their sound sensitivity. One young woman is looking forward to seeing her loved ones during the festive period, but admits a key strategy she'll endure is by using her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the holiday meal. In her case, the holidays is a especially challenging time as the noises of people eating, slurping and sniffling cause her intense distress. "I experience this wave of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to manage these sounds." The individual has suffered from misophonia since she was 16 and for her that causes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, especially noises coming from those around you. The condition is widespread across the population. Researchers reported almost one in five people suffer from it. Often it's noises linked to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, including examples such as crunching, breathing, and pen clicking. Triggering Stress She explains: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it. "My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to ensure others enjoy themselves." So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can transform into a source of agony for those with the condition. Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether. A 21-year-old student is already thinking about strategies to help her during the family meal. The student, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, states the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to get through dinner. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to minimize problematic noises. She notes her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging". "There is pressure to be around family, and I desire to, but it's draining. "I feel as if this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will activate. "It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it." 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 a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound causing distress with something completely different. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful. Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant. Craft a Story: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
With time, people develop strategies to try to better manage their sound sensitivity. One young woman is looking forward to seeing her loved ones during the festive period, but admits a key strategy she'll endure is by using her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the holiday meal. In her case, the holidays is a especially challenging time as the noises of people eating, slurping and sniffling cause her intense distress. "I experience this wave of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to manage these sounds." The individual has suffered from misophonia since she was 16 and for her that causes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, especially noises coming from those around you. The condition is widespread across the population. Researchers reported almost one in five people suffer from it. Often it's noises linked to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, including examples such as crunching, breathing, and pen clicking. Triggering Stress She explains: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it. "My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to ensure others enjoy themselves." So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can transform into a source of agony for those with the condition. Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether. A 21-year-old student is already thinking about strategies to help her during the family meal. The student, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, states the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to get through dinner. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to minimize problematic noises. She notes her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging". "There is pressure to be around family, and I desire to, but it's draining. "I feel as if this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will activate. "It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it." 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 a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound causing distress with something completely different. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful. Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant. Craft a Story: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.