đź”— Share this article The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers. Through experience, individuals develop methods to try to better manage their condition. A 23-year-old anticipates being with her relatives this Christmas, but says one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her earplugs - particularly at the main festive feast. In her case, Christmas often feels like a notably tough period as the sounds of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing cause her intense distress. "I get this sensation of sudden panic, my entire being will just tighten and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these noises." Lottie has experienced sound sensitivity for several years and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming". Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, especially noises produced by individuals. The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers found nearly 20% people suffer from it. Typically it's noises connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as things like crunching, breathing, and foot tapping. 'Anxiety Inducing' Lottie says: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it. "My family are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure the event goes smoothly." So it's obvious why the most wonderful period can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers. Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings. Another individual is planning coping mechanisms to manage the holiday dinner. She, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to minimize problematic noises. She explains her condition is more intense around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard". "There is pressure to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "It's like this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then the stress response will kick in. "It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience." Several Strategies to Manage For those affected then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists. Picture a Different Scenario: Imagination is key. Try to associate the specific noise bothering you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral. Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive. Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or could be emotional. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
Through experience, individuals develop methods to try to better manage their condition. A 23-year-old anticipates being with her relatives this Christmas, but says one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her earplugs - particularly at the main festive feast. In her case, Christmas often feels like a notably tough period as the sounds of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing cause her intense distress. "I get this sensation of sudden panic, my entire being will just tighten and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these noises." Lottie has experienced sound sensitivity for several years and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming". Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, especially noises produced by individuals. The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers found nearly 20% people suffer from it. Typically it's noises connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as things like crunching, breathing, and foot tapping. 'Anxiety Inducing' Lottie says: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it. "My family are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure the event goes smoothly." So it's obvious why the most wonderful period can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers. Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings. Another individual is planning coping mechanisms to manage the holiday dinner. She, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to minimize problematic noises. She explains her condition is more intense around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard". "There is pressure to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "It's like this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then the stress response will kick in. "It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience." Several Strategies to Manage For those affected then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists. Picture a Different Scenario: Imagination is key. Try to associate the specific noise bothering you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral. Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive. Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or could be emotional. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.