🔗 Share this article Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity. Over the years, sufferers have found strategies to try to better manage their condition. A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her family this Christmas, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her earplugs - especially during Christmas dinner. For her, the holidays is a especially challenging time as the sounds of family members munching, slurping and breathing heavily trigger intense distress. "I get this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these sounds." She has lived with sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "deeply taxing". Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, especially noises made by individuals. It is prevalent across the population. Researchers discovered a significant portion of people suffer from it. Frequently it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping. Triggering Stress The sufferer notes: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it. "Those close to me are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure others enjoy themselves." So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy season can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers. Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can cause a powerful reaction that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings. A 21-year-old student is considering coping mechanisms to manage the family meal. She, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states her strategy is to put her earphones in to cope. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers. She says her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard". "People assume you to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels. "I feel as if this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then the stress response will take over. "It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it." Several Strategies to Manage If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists. Imagine a Different Scenario: Imagination is key. Work on connecting the specific noise causing distress with a neutral concept. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat. Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected. Craft a Story: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your understanding of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
Over the years, sufferers have found strategies to try to better manage their condition. A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her family this Christmas, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her earplugs - especially during Christmas dinner. For her, the holidays is a especially challenging time as the sounds of family members munching, slurping and breathing heavily trigger intense distress. "I get this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these sounds." She has lived with sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "deeply taxing". Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, especially noises made by individuals. It is prevalent across the population. Researchers discovered a significant portion of people suffer from it. Frequently it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping. Triggering Stress The sufferer notes: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it. "Those close to me are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure others enjoy themselves." So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy season can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers. Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can cause a powerful reaction that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings. A 21-year-old student is considering coping mechanisms to manage the family meal. She, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states her strategy is to put her earphones in to cope. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers. She says her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard". "People assume you to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels. "I feel as if this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then the stress response will take over. "It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it." Several Strategies to Manage If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists. Imagine a Different Scenario: Imagination is key. Work on connecting the specific noise causing distress with a neutral concept. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat. Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected. Craft a Story: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your understanding of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.