🔗 Share this article The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers. Through experience, sufferers discover ways to try to better manage their condition. A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but notes a key strategy she'll cope is by using her earplugs - notably for Christmas dinner. In her case, Christmas is a notably tough season as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and nose-blowing trigger extremely uncomfortable. "I experience this wave of instant dread, my every muscle will just freeze and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to stop these sounds." She has lived with misophonia since she was 16 and for her that renders the Christmas time "deeply taxing". Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, particularly those coming from other people. It is prevalent across the population. Researchers reported nearly 20% people suffer from it. Frequently it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping. Triggering Stress Lottie says: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it. "My relatives are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly." So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for sufferers. Noises that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether. A 21-year-old student is considering strategies to help her during Christmas lunch. Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, says currently her plan is to listen to music to manage the meal. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to minimize distressing triggers. She notes her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard". "People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "The sensation is this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will kick in. "It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it." Several Strategies to Cope If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists. Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat. Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive. Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
Through experience, sufferers discover ways to try to better manage their condition. A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but notes a key strategy she'll cope is by using her earplugs - notably for Christmas dinner. In her case, Christmas is a notably tough season as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and nose-blowing trigger extremely uncomfortable. "I experience this wave of instant dread, my every muscle will just freeze and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to stop these sounds." She has lived with misophonia since she was 16 and for her that renders the Christmas time "deeply taxing". Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, particularly those coming from other people. It is prevalent across the population. Researchers reported nearly 20% people suffer from it. Frequently it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping. Triggering Stress Lottie says: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it. "My relatives are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly." So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for sufferers. Noises that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether. A 21-year-old student is considering strategies to help her during Christmas lunch. Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, says currently her plan is to listen to music to manage the meal. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to minimize distressing triggers. She notes her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard". "People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "The sensation is this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will kick in. "It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it." Several Strategies to Cope If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists. Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat. Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive. Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.