🔗 Share this article The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers. With time, individuals discover ways to cope with their misophonia. One young woman is looking forward to being with her loved ones during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll endure is by using her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at Christmas dinner. In her case, this time of year can be a especially challenging season as the sounds of people eating, drinking noisily and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable. "There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tighten and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these noises." She has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing". Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds coming from other people. It's surprisingly common across the population. A study found almost one in five people are affected by it. Typically it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping. A Source of Dread Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it. "My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure the event goes smoothly." So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for affected individuals. Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a visceral feeling that can even cause them skipping events entirely. A 21-year-old student is considering ways to manage the family meal. She, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to cope. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to minimize triggering sounds. She says her condition is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard". "There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining. "It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will activate. "To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience." Several Strategies to Manage For those affected then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, according to specialists. Visualise a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the triggering sound affecting you with something completely different. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat. Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the competition element 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 creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
With time, individuals discover ways to cope with their misophonia. One young woman is looking forward to being with her loved ones during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll endure is by using her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at Christmas dinner. In her case, this time of year can be a especially challenging season as the sounds of people eating, drinking noisily and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable. "There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tighten and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these noises." She has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing". Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds coming from other people. It's surprisingly common across the population. A study found almost one in five people are affected by it. Typically it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping. A Source of Dread Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it. "My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure the event goes smoothly." So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for affected individuals. Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a visceral feeling that can even cause them skipping events entirely. A 21-year-old student is considering ways to manage the family meal. She, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to cope. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to minimize triggering sounds. She says her condition is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard". "There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining. "It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will activate. "To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience." Several Strategies to Manage For those affected then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, according to specialists. Visualise a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the triggering sound affecting you with something completely different. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat. Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the competition element 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 creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.