🔗 Share this article Christmas Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers. Over the years, people have found strategies to cope with their sound sensitivity. A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her relatives this Christmas, but notes a primary method she'll cope is by wearing her hearing protection - especially during Christmas dinner. For the 23-year-old, the holidays can be a notably tough time as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and breathing heavily cause her intense distress. "I experience this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these noises." She has lived with this condition for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming". Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by other people. It is prevalent across the population. Experts found a significant portion of people experience it. Typically it's sounds linked to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, along with things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking. A Source of Dread Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it. "My relatives are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to ensure others enjoy themselves." So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can transform into a source of agony for affected individuals. Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can provoke a powerful reaction that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings. Jenna is considering coping mechanisms to manage Christmas lunch. Jenna, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to cope. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to escape triggering sounds. She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard". "There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining. "It's like this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then the stress response will take over. "It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience." Three Ways to Manage If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists. Imagine a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral. Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant. Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
Over the years, people have found strategies to cope with their sound sensitivity. A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her relatives this Christmas, but notes a primary method she'll cope is by wearing her hearing protection - especially during Christmas dinner. For the 23-year-old, the holidays can be a notably tough time as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and breathing heavily cause her intense distress. "I experience this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these noises." She has lived with this condition for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming". Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by other people. It is prevalent across the population. Experts found a significant portion of people experience it. Typically it's sounds linked to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, along with things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking. A Source of Dread Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it. "My relatives are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to ensure others enjoy themselves." So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can transform into a source of agony for affected individuals. Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can provoke a powerful reaction that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings. Jenna is considering coping mechanisms to manage Christmas lunch. Jenna, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to cope. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to escape triggering sounds. She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard". "There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining. "It's like this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then the stress response will take over. "It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience." Three Ways to Manage If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists. Imagine a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral. Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant. Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.