🔗 Share this article Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia. Over the years, individuals have found ways to handle their condition. A 23-year-old anticipates being with her loved ones over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner. In her case, the holidays can be a particularly difficult period as the sounds of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel profound anxiety. "There's this wave of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to manage these triggers." The individual has suffered from this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "deeply taxing". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, particularly those coming from those around you. It's surprisingly common amongst adults. A study found nearly 20% people suffer from it. Typically it's sounds associated with bodily functions that cause distress, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping. A Source of Dread Lottie says: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it. "Those close to me are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure everyone else is happy." So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can transform into a source of agony for affected individuals. Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even result in them skipping events entirely. Jenna is considering strategies to get her through the family meal. The student, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, explains her strategy is to use headphones to cope. On any other day, she would frequently go in a separate space to avoid triggering sounds. She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult". "There is pressure to be around family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "I feel as if this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will kick in. "To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it." Several Strategies to Manage For those affected then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists. Imagine a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat. Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive. Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
Over the years, individuals have found ways to handle their condition. A 23-year-old anticipates being with her loved ones over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner. In her case, the holidays can be a particularly difficult period as the sounds of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel profound anxiety. "There's this wave of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to manage these triggers." The individual has suffered from this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "deeply taxing". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, particularly those coming from those around you. It's surprisingly common amongst adults. A study found nearly 20% people suffer from it. Typically it's sounds associated with bodily functions that cause distress, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping. A Source of Dread Lottie says: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it. "Those close to me are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure everyone else is happy." So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can transform into a source of agony for affected individuals. Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even result in them skipping events entirely. Jenna is considering strategies to get her through the family meal. The student, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, explains her strategy is to use headphones to cope. On any other day, she would frequently go in a separate space to avoid triggering sounds. She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult". "There is pressure to be around family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "I feel as if this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will kick in. "To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it." Several Strategies to Manage For those affected then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists. Imagine a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat. Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive. Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.