đź”— Share this article The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers. With time, individuals develop methods to try to better manage their condition. Lottie is looking forward to being with her relatives over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal. For the 23-year-old, this time of year often feels like a especially challenging season as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and sniffling cause her intense distress. "I experience this sensation of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these triggers." The individual has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing". Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, particularly those produced by those around you. The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers found almost one in five people suffer from it. Frequently it's noises linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, as well as things like chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping. 'Anxiety Inducing' The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it. "My relatives are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee everyone else is happy." So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers. Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings. A 21-year-old student is planning strategies to get her through the holiday dinner. She, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, states her strategy is to use headphones to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to escape problematic noises. She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging". "People assume you to be around family, and I wish to, but it's draining. "The sensation is this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will kick in. "It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it." A Few Techniques to Handle It If you suffer then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, according to experts. Visualise an Alternative: Creative thinking is essential. Try to associate the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat. Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected. Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your understanding of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
With time, individuals develop methods to try to better manage their condition. Lottie is looking forward to being with her relatives over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal. For the 23-year-old, this time of year often feels like a especially challenging season as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and sniffling cause her intense distress. "I experience this sensation of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these triggers." The individual has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing". Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, particularly those produced by those around you. The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers found almost one in five people suffer from it. Frequently it's noises linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, as well as things like chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping. 'Anxiety Inducing' The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it. "My relatives are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee everyone else is happy." So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers. Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings. A 21-year-old student is planning strategies to get her through the holiday dinner. She, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, states her strategy is to use headphones to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to escape problematic noises. She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging". "People assume you to be around family, and I wish to, but it's draining. "The sensation is this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will kick in. "It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it." A Few Techniques to Handle It If you suffer then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, according to experts. Visualise an Alternative: Creative thinking is essential. Try to associate the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat. Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected. Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your understanding of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.