🔗 Share this article Yuletide Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers. Through experience, people develop ways to try to better manage their misophonia. One young woman anticipates spending time with her family during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by using her hearing protection - notably for the main festive feast. For the 23-year-old, Christmas can be a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of people eating, sipping loudly and breathing heavily make her feel intense distress. "There's this wave of sudden panic, my entire being will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these noises." The individual has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that causes the festive season "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, especially noises produced by individuals. It's surprisingly common across the population. Experts found nearly 20% people are affected by it. Typically it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, including examples such as chewing, breathing, and pen clicking. A Source of Dread The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it. "My family are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves." So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can transform into a living nightmare for affected individuals. Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings. Another individual is considering coping mechanisms to get her through Christmas lunch. She, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, says her strategy is to listen to music to cope. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to escape problematic noises. She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging". "There is pressure to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels. "It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then the stress response will kick in. "To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it." A Few Techniques to Cope If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists. Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the triggering sound bothering you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful. Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant. Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
Through experience, people develop ways to try to better manage their misophonia. One young woman anticipates spending time with her family during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by using her hearing protection - notably for the main festive feast. For the 23-year-old, Christmas can be a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of people eating, sipping loudly and breathing heavily make her feel intense distress. "There's this wave of sudden panic, my entire being will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these noises." The individual has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that causes the festive season "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, especially noises produced by individuals. It's surprisingly common across the population. Experts found nearly 20% people are affected by it. Typically it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, including examples such as chewing, breathing, and pen clicking. A Source of Dread The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it. "My family are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves." So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can transform into a living nightmare for affected individuals. Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings. Another individual is considering coping mechanisms to get her through Christmas lunch. She, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, says her strategy is to listen to music to cope. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to escape problematic noises. She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging". "There is pressure to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels. "It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then the stress response will kick in. "To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it." A Few Techniques to Cope If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists. Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the triggering sound bothering you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful. Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant. Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.