🔗 Share this article The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers. Over the years, people have found strategies to try to better manage their condition. A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but notes one of the only ways she'll endure is by using her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the main festive feast. For the 23-year-old, Christmas often feels like a particularly difficult period as the noises of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable. "I get this sensation of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these triggers." She has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that causes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming". Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds made by those around you. It is prevalent in the UK. Experts discovered almost one in five people experience it. Often it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, as well as things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking. Triggering Stress The sufferer notes: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it. "My relatives are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly." So it's clear why the traditionally happy season can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for affected individuals. Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether. Another individual is already thinking about strategies to manage the family meal. Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, states her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. Usually, she would often retreat in a separate space to minimize distressing triggers. She notes her sensitivity is more intense around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard". "People assume you to be around family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels. "It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then the stress response will kick in. "It can come across as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it." A Few Techniques to Cope If you suffer then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to experts. Imagine Something Else: Imagination is crucial. Attempt to link the specific noise bothering you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral. Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive. Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, 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 sound doesn't change, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
Over the years, people have found strategies to try to better manage their condition. A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but notes one of the only ways she'll endure is by using her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the main festive feast. For the 23-year-old, Christmas often feels like a particularly difficult period as the noises of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable. "I get this sensation of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these triggers." She has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that causes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming". Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds made by those around you. It is prevalent in the UK. Experts discovered almost one in five people experience it. Often it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, as well as things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking. Triggering Stress The sufferer notes: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it. "My relatives are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly." So it's clear why the traditionally happy season can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for affected individuals. Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether. Another individual is already thinking about strategies to manage the family meal. Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, states her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. Usually, she would often retreat in a separate space to minimize distressing triggers. She notes her sensitivity is more intense around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard". "People assume you to be around family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels. "It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then the stress response will kick in. "It can come across as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it." A Few Techniques to Cope If you suffer then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to experts. Imagine Something Else: Imagination is crucial. Attempt to link the specific noise bothering you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral. Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive. Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, 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 sound doesn't change, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.