🔗 Share this article Yuletide Transforms Into a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia. With time, people develop methods to handle their condition. One young woman hopes for being with her family during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the holiday meal. In her case, this time of year can be a especially challenging season as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling make her feel extremely uncomfortable. "There's this feeling of sudden panic, my entire being will just freeze and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these sounds." She has suffered from misophonia since she was 16 and for her that causes the holiday period "deeply taxing". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises coming from other people. The condition is widespread across the population. Experts found a significant portion of people are affected by it. Often it's noises associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping. 'Anxiety Inducing' She explains: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it. "My relatives are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to guarantee others enjoy themselves." So it's clear why the most wonderful period can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition. Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely. Jenna is already thinking about strategies to manage Christmas lunch. Jenna, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, states her strategy is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would often retreat in a separate space to escape triggering sounds. She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult". "There's an expectation to be around family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels. "I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then the stress response will take over. "To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it." A Few Techniques to Cope For those affected then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by specialists. Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive. Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
With time, people develop methods to handle their condition. One young woman hopes for being with her family during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the holiday meal. In her case, this time of year can be a especially challenging season as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling make her feel extremely uncomfortable. "There's this feeling of sudden panic, my entire being will just freeze and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these sounds." She has suffered from misophonia since she was 16 and for her that causes the holiday period "deeply taxing". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises coming from other people. The condition is widespread across the population. Experts found a significant portion of people are affected by it. Often it's noises associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping. 'Anxiety Inducing' She explains: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it. "My relatives are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to guarantee others enjoy themselves." So it's clear why the most wonderful period can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition. Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely. Jenna is already thinking about strategies to manage Christmas lunch. Jenna, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, states her strategy is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would often retreat in a separate space to escape triggering sounds. She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult". "There's an expectation to be around family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels. "I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then the stress response will take over. "To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it." A Few Techniques to Cope For those affected then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by specialists. Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive. Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.