🔗 Share this article Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity. With time, individuals develop methods to try to better manage their misophonia. A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her relatives over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner. In her case, this time of year often feels like a notably tough period as the sounds of family members munching, sipping loudly and nose-blowing trigger extremely uncomfortable. "I get this feeling of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these sounds." The individual has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that renders the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming". Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, especially noises made by other people. The condition is widespread across the population. Researchers found a significant portion of people suffer from it. Frequently it's noises associated with bodily functions that cause distress, as well as examples such as chewing, breathing, and foot tapping. Triggering Stress Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it. "My family 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 sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee everyone else is happy." So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for those with the condition. Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings. A 21-year-old student is considering strategies to get her through Christmas lunch. She, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, states the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to minimize problematic noises. She says her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult". "People assume you to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will kick in. "It may seem as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience." A Few Techniques to Manage If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, according to clinical psychologists. Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the particular sound bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat. Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive. Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
With time, individuals develop methods to try to better manage their misophonia. A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her relatives over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner. In her case, this time of year often feels like a notably tough period as the sounds of family members munching, sipping loudly and nose-blowing trigger extremely uncomfortable. "I get this feeling of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these sounds." The individual has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that renders the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming". Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, especially noises made by other people. The condition is widespread across the population. Researchers found a significant portion of people suffer from it. Frequently it's noises associated with bodily functions that cause distress, as well as examples such as chewing, breathing, and foot tapping. Triggering Stress Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it. "My family 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 sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee everyone else is happy." So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for those with the condition. Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings. A 21-year-old student is considering strategies to get her through Christmas lunch. She, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, states the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to minimize problematic noises. She says her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult". "People assume you to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will kick in. "It may seem as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience." A Few Techniques to Manage If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, according to clinical psychologists. Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the particular sound bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat. Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive. Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.