đź”— Share this article Christmas Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers. Over the years, individuals discover ways to cope with their condition. Lottie anticipates spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll endure is by using her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner. For her, Christmas can be a notably tough time as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable. "I experience this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds." The individual has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that causes the Christmas time "deeply taxing". Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, especially noises produced by those around you. It is prevalent in the UK. Experts discovered nearly 20% people suffer from it. Typically it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that cause distress, along with things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping. A Source of Dread The sufferer notes: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it. "Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure the event goes smoothly." So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition. Noises that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can provoke a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely. Jenna is already thinking about strategies to get her through the holiday dinner. The student, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, explains currently her plan is to listen to music to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a different room to minimize distressing triggers. She notes her misophonia is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging". "There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining. "The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will activate. "It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it." Three Ways to Cope If you suffer then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts. Picture Something Else: Mental imagery is crucial. Try to associate the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected. Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your reaction of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
Over the years, individuals discover ways to cope with their condition. Lottie anticipates spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll endure is by using her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner. For her, Christmas can be a notably tough time as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable. "I experience this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds." The individual has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that causes the Christmas time "deeply taxing". Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, especially noises produced by those around you. It is prevalent in the UK. Experts discovered nearly 20% people suffer from it. Typically it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that cause distress, along with things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping. A Source of Dread The sufferer notes: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it. "Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure the event goes smoothly." So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition. Noises that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can provoke a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely. Jenna is already thinking about strategies to get her through the holiday dinner. The student, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, explains currently her plan is to listen to music to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a different room to minimize distressing triggers. She notes her misophonia is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging". "There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining. "The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will activate. "It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it." Three Ways to Cope If you suffer then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts. Picture Something Else: Mental imagery is crucial. Try to associate the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected. Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your reaction of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.