🔗 Share this article The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers. With time, people discover ways to handle their condition. A 23-year-old is looking forward to seeing her relatives this Christmas, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during Christmas dinner. In her case, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging time as the noises of people eating, sipping loudly and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety. "I get this feeling of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just freeze and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these noises." The individual has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming". Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, especially noises produced by individuals. It's surprisingly common across the population. Researchers found a significant portion of people experience it. Typically it's sounds linked to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, as well as things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking. 'Anxiety Inducing' Lottie says: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it. "Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to guarantee others enjoy themselves." So it's clear why the supposedly joyous period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for affected individuals. Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a strong emotional response that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings. Jenna is already thinking about strategies to manage Christmas lunch. The student, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, says currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape problematic noises. She notes her sensitivity is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "difficult". "People assume you to be around family, and I desire to, but it's draining. "It's like this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate. "It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it." Several Strategies to Cope If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts. Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the specific noise causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat. Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected. Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
With time, people discover ways to handle their condition. A 23-year-old is looking forward to seeing her relatives this Christmas, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during Christmas dinner. In her case, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging time as the noises of people eating, sipping loudly and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety. "I get this feeling of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just freeze and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these noises." The individual has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming". Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, especially noises produced by individuals. It's surprisingly common across the population. Researchers found a significant portion of people experience it. Typically it's sounds linked to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, as well as things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking. 'Anxiety Inducing' Lottie says: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it. "Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to guarantee others enjoy themselves." So it's clear why the supposedly joyous period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for affected individuals. Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a strong emotional response that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings. Jenna is already thinking about strategies to manage Christmas lunch. The student, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, says currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape problematic noises. She notes her sensitivity is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "difficult". "People assume you to be around family, and I desire to, but it's draining. "It's like this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate. "It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it." Several Strategies to Cope If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts. Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the specific noise causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat. Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected. Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.