🔗 Share this article Yuletide Can Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers. With time, people discover ways to try to better manage their sound sensitivity. One young woman hopes for seeing her relatives over the holidays, but admits a primary method she'll cope is by using her hearing protection - notably for Christmas dinner. In her case, this time of year is a especially challenging period as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and breathing heavily cause her intense distress. "I experience this feeling of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these triggers." The individual has lived with this condition from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming". Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those made by individuals. It is prevalent across the population. A study reported nearly 20% people experience it. Typically it's sounds connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, along with things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking. Triggering Stress The sufferer notes: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it. "Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly." So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for those with the condition. Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them skipping events entirely. Jenna is planning ways to help her during the holiday dinner. Jenna, a university student, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, explains her strategy is to listen to music to cope. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds. She says her condition is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging". "There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over. "To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience." A Few Techniques to Handle It For those affected then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists. Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the specific noise bothering you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant. 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. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
With time, people discover ways to try to better manage their sound sensitivity. One young woman hopes for seeing her relatives over the holidays, but admits a primary method she'll cope is by using her hearing protection - notably for Christmas dinner. In her case, this time of year is a especially challenging period as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and breathing heavily cause her intense distress. "I experience this feeling of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these triggers." The individual has lived with this condition from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming". Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those made by individuals. It is prevalent across the population. A study reported nearly 20% people experience it. Typically it's sounds connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, along with things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking. Triggering Stress The sufferer notes: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it. "Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly." So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for those with the condition. Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them skipping events entirely. Jenna is planning ways to help her during the holiday dinner. Jenna, a university student, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, explains her strategy is to listen to music to cope. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds. She says her condition is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging". "There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over. "To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience." A Few Techniques to Handle It For those affected then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists. Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the specific noise bothering you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant. 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. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.