🔗 Share this article Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia. Through experience, people develop methods to handle their condition. A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her family this Christmas, but says a primary method she'll cope is by using her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast. In her case, Christmas is a notably tough season as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety. "There's this wave of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these triggers." She has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by other people. It is prevalent amongst adults. A study reported nearly 20% people are affected by it. Frequently it's sounds linked to bodily functions that cause distress, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping. Triggering Stress Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas 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 internal conflict of enduring my distress to ensure others enjoy themselves." So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can transform into a living nightmare for sufferers. Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings. Jenna is considering ways to manage Christmas lunch. Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity from childhood, states the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to avoid distressing triggers. She says her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging". "There is pressure to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels. "I feel as if this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will activate. "To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it." Several Strategies to Handle It For those affected then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts. Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the specific noise bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral. Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant. Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your reaction of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
Through experience, people develop methods to handle their condition. A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her family this Christmas, but says a primary method she'll cope is by using her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast. In her case, Christmas is a notably tough season as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety. "There's this wave of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these triggers." She has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by other people. It is prevalent amongst adults. A study reported nearly 20% people are affected by it. Frequently it's sounds linked to bodily functions that cause distress, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping. Triggering Stress Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas 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 internal conflict of enduring my distress to ensure others enjoy themselves." So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can transform into a living nightmare for sufferers. Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings. Jenna is considering ways to manage Christmas lunch. Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity from childhood, states the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to avoid distressing triggers. She says her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging". "There is pressure to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels. "I feel as if this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will activate. "To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it." Several Strategies to Handle It For those affected then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts. Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the specific noise bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral. Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant. Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your reaction of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.