🔗 Share this article Yuletide Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers. Over the years, sufferers discover ways to try to better manage their condition. One young woman anticipates spending time with her loved ones this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by using her hearing protection - especially during the main festive feast. For the 23-year-old, the holidays can be a notably tough season as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable. "I get this feeling of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these triggers." Lottie has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that makes the Christmas time "deeply taxing". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, especially noises produced by those around you. The condition is widespread in the UK. A study reported almost one in five people experience it. Typically it's sounds linked to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping. 'Anxiety Inducing' Lottie says: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it. "Those close to me are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy." So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers. Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely. Another individual is planning coping mechanisms to help her during the family meal. She, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, explains her strategy is to use headphones to cope. Typically, she would often retreat in a separate space to minimize problematic noises. She notes her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult". "People assume you to be around family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels. "It's like this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then the stress response will activate. "It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it." Several Strategies to Cope If you suffer then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists. Imagine an Alternative: Imagination is essential. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive. Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or are troubled. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
Over the years, sufferers discover ways to try to better manage their condition. One young woman anticipates spending time with her loved ones this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by using her hearing protection - especially during the main festive feast. For the 23-year-old, the holidays can be a notably tough season as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable. "I get this feeling of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these triggers." Lottie has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that makes the Christmas time "deeply taxing". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, especially noises produced by those around you. The condition is widespread in the UK. A study reported almost one in five people experience it. Typically it's sounds linked to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping. 'Anxiety Inducing' Lottie says: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it. "Those close to me are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy." So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers. Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely. Another individual is planning coping mechanisms to help her during the family meal. She, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, explains her strategy is to use headphones to cope. Typically, she would often retreat in a separate space to minimize problematic noises. She notes her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult". "People assume you to be around family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels. "It's like this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then the stress response will activate. "It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it." Several Strategies to Cope If you suffer then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists. Imagine an Alternative: Imagination is essential. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive. Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or are troubled. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.