🔗 Share this article Christmas Transforms Into a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia. Through experience, individuals have found ways to handle their sound sensitivity. One young woman hopes for spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by using her earplugs - especially during Christmas dinner. For her, the holidays is a especially challenging period as the sounds of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily cause her profound anxiety. "I get this feeling of instant dread, my entire being will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these noises." The individual has suffered from misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing". Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those coming from those around you. It is prevalent across the population. Researchers found a significant portion of people are affected by it. Often it's noises associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking. Triggering Stress The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it. "Those close to me are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly." So it's obvious why the most wonderful period can transform into a stressful ordeal for sufferers. Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether. Jenna is considering coping mechanisms to manage Christmas lunch. The student, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, states currently her plan is to use headphones to manage the meal. On any other day, she would frequently go in a separate space to avoid problematic noises. She notes her condition is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard". "There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will kick in. "It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience." Three Ways to Manage If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists. Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with something completely different. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral. Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive. Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your understanding of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
Through experience, individuals have found ways to handle their sound sensitivity. One young woman hopes for spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by using her earplugs - especially during Christmas dinner. For her, the holidays is a especially challenging period as the sounds of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily cause her profound anxiety. "I get this feeling of instant dread, my entire being will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these noises." The individual has suffered from misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing". Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those coming from those around you. It is prevalent across the population. Researchers found a significant portion of people are affected by it. Often it's noises associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking. Triggering Stress The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it. "Those close to me are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly." So it's obvious why the most wonderful period can transform into a stressful ordeal for sufferers. Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether. Jenna is considering coping mechanisms to manage Christmas lunch. The student, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, states currently her plan is to use headphones to manage the meal. On any other day, she would frequently go in a separate space to avoid problematic noises. She notes her condition is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard". "There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will kick in. "It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience." Three Ways to Manage If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists. Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with something completely different. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral. Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive. Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your understanding of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.