🔗 Share this article Yuletide Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia. Over the years, people develop ways to handle their sound sensitivity. Lottie hopes for spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll endure is by wearing her hearing protection - especially during the main festive feast. For her, the holidays can be a especially challenging period as the sounds of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily cause her intense distress. "There's this sensation of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to manage these triggers." Lottie has lived with misophonia since she was 16 and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by other people. It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers discovered a significant portion of people are affected by it. Frequently it's sounds connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking. 'Anxiety Inducing' She explains: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you fear it. "Those close to me are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to guarantee everyone else is happy." So it's clear why the traditionally happy season can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals. Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether. Jenna is already thinking about ways to help her during Christmas lunch. She, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains her strategy is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Usually, she would often retreat in a quiet area to minimize triggering sounds. She notes her condition is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging". "There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "I feel as if this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then the stress response will activate. "It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it." Three Ways to Handle It If you suffer then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by specialists. Imagine a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Try to associate the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat. Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the challenge 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 why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
Over the years, people develop ways to handle their sound sensitivity. Lottie hopes for spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll endure is by wearing her hearing protection - especially during the main festive feast. For her, the holidays can be a especially challenging period as the sounds of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily cause her intense distress. "There's this sensation of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to manage these triggers." Lottie has lived with misophonia since she was 16 and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by other people. It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers discovered a significant portion of people are affected by it. Frequently it's sounds connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking. 'Anxiety Inducing' She explains: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you fear it. "Those close to me are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to guarantee everyone else is happy." So it's clear why the traditionally happy season can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals. Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether. Jenna is already thinking about ways to help her during Christmas lunch. She, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains her strategy is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Usually, she would often retreat in a quiet area to minimize triggering sounds. She notes her condition is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging". "There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "I feel as if this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then the stress response will activate. "It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it." Three Ways to Handle It If you suffer then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by specialists. Imagine a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Try to associate the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat. Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the challenge 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 why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.