🔗 Share this article The Holiday Season Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity. Through experience, people have found methods to try to better manage their sound sensitivity. One young woman anticipates being with her family over the holidays, but admits a primary method she'll cope is by relying on her hearing protection - especially during the holiday meal. For her, this time of year can be a especially challenging season as the noises of other people chewing, sipping loudly and breathing heavily cause her intense distress. "I experience this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises." Lottie has suffered from this condition for several years and for her that causes the festive season "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those made by individuals. The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study discovered a significant portion of people are affected by it. Typically it's sounds linked to bodily functions that cause distress, along with things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking. Triggering Stress The sufferer notes: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it. "My family are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves." So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers. Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings. Another individual is planning ways to get her through the family meal. The student, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, states the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to cope. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to minimize distressing triggers. She explains her sensitivity is more intense around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult". "There's an expectation to be around family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "It's like this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will activate. "To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it." Several Strategies to Handle It For those affected then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists. Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the triggering sound affecting you with something completely different. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant. Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
Through experience, people have found methods to try to better manage their sound sensitivity. One young woman anticipates being with her family over the holidays, but admits a primary method she'll cope is by relying on her hearing protection - especially during the holiday meal. For her, this time of year can be a especially challenging season as the noises of other people chewing, sipping loudly and breathing heavily cause her intense distress. "I experience this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises." Lottie has suffered from this condition for several years and for her that causes the festive season "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those made by individuals. The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study discovered a significant portion of people are affected by it. Typically it's sounds linked to bodily functions that cause distress, along with things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking. Triggering Stress The sufferer notes: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it. "My family are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves." So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers. Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings. Another individual is planning ways to get her through the family meal. The student, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, states the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to cope. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to minimize distressing triggers. She explains her sensitivity is more intense around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult". "There's an expectation to be around family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "It's like this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will activate. "To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it." Several Strategies to Handle It For those affected then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists. Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the triggering sound affecting you with something completely different. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant. Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.