🔗 Share this article Christmas Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers. With time, people develop methods to handle their condition. One young woman is looking forward to seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by using her earplugs - notably for the holiday meal. For her, this time of year is a particularly difficult period as the sounds of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily cause her extremely uncomfortable. "I experience this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these triggers." She has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that causes the festive season "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, especially noises produced by other people. It is prevalent amongst adults. Researchers reported a significant portion of people suffer from it. Frequently it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, including examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking. Triggering Stress She explains: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it. "My family are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy." So it's clear why the supposedly joyous time of the year can transform into a source of agony for sufferers. Noises that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether. Another individual is already thinking about strategies to get her through the family meal. The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to avoid distressing triggers. She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult". "People assume you to be around family, and I wish to, but it's draining. "The sensation is this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate. "It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it." A Few Techniques to Handle It For those affected then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to specialists. Picture a Different Scenario: Imagination is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound bothering you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful. Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected. Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your reaction of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
With time, people develop methods to handle their condition. One young woman is looking forward to seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by using her earplugs - notably for the holiday meal. For her, this time of year is a particularly difficult period as the sounds of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily cause her extremely uncomfortable. "I experience this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these triggers." She has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that causes the festive season "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, especially noises produced by other people. It is prevalent amongst adults. Researchers reported a significant portion of people suffer from it. Frequently it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, including examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking. Triggering Stress She explains: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it. "My family are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy." So it's clear why the supposedly joyous time of the year can transform into a source of agony for sufferers. Noises that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether. Another individual is already thinking about strategies to get her through the family meal. The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to avoid distressing triggers. She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult". "People assume you to be around family, and I wish to, but it's draining. "The sensation is this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate. "It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it." A Few Techniques to Handle It For those affected then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to specialists. Picture a Different Scenario: Imagination is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound bothering you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful. Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected. Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your reaction of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.