🔗 Share this article Yuletide Transforms Into a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers. Over the years, individuals develop methods to handle their condition. Lottie is looking forward to seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her earplugs - notably for the main festive feast. For her, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult time as the noises of other people chewing, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel extremely uncomfortable. "I get this sensation of sudden panic, my entire being will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these sounds." She has suffered from misophonia for several years and for her that causes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, notably sounds made by those around you. It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers reported nearly 20% people experience it. Often it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping. 'Anxiety Inducing' Lottie says: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it. "Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to guarantee others enjoy themselves." So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can transform into a living nightmare for those with the condition. Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can cause a strong emotional response that can even result in them skipping events entirely. A 21-year-old student is considering strategies to help her during Christmas lunch. Jenna, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, states the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize triggering sounds. She notes her sensitivity is worse around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging". "There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining. "I feel as if this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will take over. "To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience." A Few Techniques to Manage If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to specialists. Visualise an Alternative: Imagination is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful. Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. By joining in, rather than 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. Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
Over the years, individuals develop methods to handle their condition. Lottie is looking forward to seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her earplugs - notably for the main festive feast. For her, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult time as the noises of other people chewing, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel extremely uncomfortable. "I get this sensation of sudden panic, my entire being will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these sounds." She has suffered from misophonia for several years and for her that causes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, notably sounds made by those around you. It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers reported nearly 20% people experience it. Often it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping. 'Anxiety Inducing' Lottie says: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it. "Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to guarantee others enjoy themselves." So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can transform into a living nightmare for those with the condition. Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can cause a strong emotional response that can even result in them skipping events entirely. A 21-year-old student is considering strategies to help her during Christmas lunch. Jenna, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, states the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize triggering sounds. She notes her sensitivity is worse around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging". "There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining. "I feel as if this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will take over. "To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience." A Few Techniques to Manage If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to specialists. Visualise an Alternative: Imagination is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful. Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. By joining in, rather than 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. Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.