đź”— Share this article Yuletide Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers. With time, people develop methods to handle their sound sensitivity. A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her relatives this Christmas, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at the main festive feast. For her, Christmas can be a notably tough time as the sounds of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel extremely uncomfortable. "I get this wave of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds." The individual has experienced sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming". Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds made by individuals. It is prevalent in the UK. Experts found nearly 20% people suffer from it. Often it's noises associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, including things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking. Triggering Stress The sufferer notes: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it. "My relatives are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to guarantee others enjoy themselves." So it's obvious why the most wonderful time of the year can transform into a source of agony for affected individuals. Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a visceral feeling that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether. Another individual is already thinking about coping mechanisms to get her through the holiday dinner. She, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to cope. On any other day, she would often retreat in a quiet area to avoid problematic noises. She says her condition is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard". "There is pressure to be around family, and I want to, but it's draining. "I feel as if this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will activate. "It may seem as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it." Several Strategies to Manage If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists. Visualise an Alternative: Creative thinking is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound bothering you with something completely different. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful. Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected. Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
With time, people develop methods to handle their sound sensitivity. A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her relatives this Christmas, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at the main festive feast. For her, Christmas can be a notably tough time as the sounds of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel extremely uncomfortable. "I get this wave of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds." The individual has experienced sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming". Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds made by individuals. It is prevalent in the UK. Experts found nearly 20% people suffer from it. Often it's noises associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, including things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking. Triggering Stress The sufferer notes: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it. "My relatives are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to guarantee others enjoy themselves." So it's obvious why the most wonderful time of the year can transform into a source of agony for affected individuals. Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a visceral feeling that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether. Another individual is already thinking about coping mechanisms to get her through the holiday dinner. She, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to cope. On any other day, she would often retreat in a quiet area to avoid problematic noises. She says her condition is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard". "There is pressure to be around family, and I want to, but it's draining. "I feel as if this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will activate. "It may seem as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it." Several Strategies to Manage If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists. Visualise an Alternative: Creative thinking is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound bothering you with something completely different. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful. Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected. Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.