đŸ”— Share this article Christmas Transforms Into a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia. Over the years, people discover strategies to cope with their condition. One young woman is looking forward to being with her relatives during the festive period, but says a key strategy she'll cope is by using her earplugs - notably for the main festive feast. For the 23-year-old, the holidays is a especially challenging season as the noises of other people chewing, drinking noisily and nose-blowing make her feel profound anxiety. "I get this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to stop these triggers." The individual has experienced sound sensitivity for several years and for her that causes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds produced by other people. The condition is widespread across the population. Researchers found nearly 20% people are affected by it. Often it's noises connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping. A Source of Dread The sufferer notes: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it. "My relatives are supportive, 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 make sure others enjoy themselves." So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals. Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether. Jenna is already thinking about coping mechanisms to manage the family meal. She, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity from childhood, states the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to minimize problematic noises. She notes her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult". "People assume you to be around family, and I wish to, but it's draining. "I feel as if this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will kick in. "To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it." Three Ways to Cope If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from experts. Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant. Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
Over the years, people discover strategies to cope with their condition. One young woman is looking forward to being with her relatives during the festive period, but says a key strategy she'll cope is by using her earplugs - notably for the main festive feast. For the 23-year-old, the holidays is a especially challenging season as the noises of other people chewing, drinking noisily and nose-blowing make her feel profound anxiety. "I get this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to stop these triggers." The individual has experienced sound sensitivity for several years and for her that causes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds produced by other people. The condition is widespread across the population. Researchers found nearly 20% people are affected by it. Often it's noises connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping. A Source of Dread The sufferer notes: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it. "My relatives are supportive, 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 make sure others enjoy themselves." So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals. Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether. Jenna is already thinking about coping mechanisms to manage the family meal. She, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity from childhood, states the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to minimize problematic noises. She notes her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult". "People assume you to be around family, and I wish to, but it's draining. "I feel as if this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will kick in. "To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it." Three Ways to Cope If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from experts. Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant. Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.