🔗 Share this article Yuletide Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers. With time, sufferers have found methods to cope with their condition. A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her family over the holidays, but admits a primary method she'll cope is by using her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal. For the 23-year-old, the holidays is a especially challenging season as the auditory triggers of family members munching, sipping loudly and breathing heavily make her feel intense distress. "I experience this wave of instant dread, my entire being will just freeze and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these noises." Lottie has lived with this condition from a young age and for her that makes the festive season "deeply taxing". Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises produced by individuals. It is prevalent amongst adults. A study reported almost one in five people experience it. Typically it's sounds linked to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including examples such as crunching, breathing, and pen clicking. A Source of Dread The sufferer notes: "I face 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 aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to make sure everyone else is happy." So it's clear why the most wonderful period can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers. Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them skipping events entirely. A 21-year-old student is already thinking about strategies to manage Christmas lunch. Jenna, a university student, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, explains her strategy is to use headphones to get through dinner. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers. She notes her condition is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "difficult". "There is pressure to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "I feel as if this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will kick in. "It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience." A Few Techniques to Cope If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to experts. Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive. Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your reaction of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
With time, sufferers have found methods to cope with their condition. A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her family over the holidays, but admits a primary method she'll cope is by using her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal. For the 23-year-old, the holidays is a especially challenging season as the auditory triggers of family members munching, sipping loudly and breathing heavily make her feel intense distress. "I experience this wave of instant dread, my entire being will just freeze and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these noises." Lottie has lived with this condition from a young age and for her that makes the festive season "deeply taxing". Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises produced by individuals. It is prevalent amongst adults. A study reported almost one in five people experience it. Typically it's sounds linked to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including examples such as crunching, breathing, and pen clicking. A Source of Dread The sufferer notes: "I face 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 aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to make sure everyone else is happy." So it's clear why the most wonderful period can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers. Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them skipping events entirely. A 21-year-old student is already thinking about strategies to manage Christmas lunch. Jenna, a university student, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, explains her strategy is to use headphones to get through dinner. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers. She notes her condition is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "difficult". "There is pressure to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "I feel as if this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will kick in. "It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience." A Few Techniques to Cope If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to experts. Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive. Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your reaction of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.