🔗 Share this article Christmas Can Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers. Through experience, individuals have found methods to cope with their condition. One young woman is looking forward to being with her family this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by using her earplugs - notably for the main festive feast. For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a especially challenging time as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her intense distress. "There's this sensation of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises." Lottie has lived with this condition for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming". Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by other people. The condition is widespread across the population. Researchers discovered a significant portion of people experience it. Often it's sounds connected to bodily functions that cause distress, along with things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking. 'Anxiety Inducing' She explains: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it. "My family 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 enduring my distress to guarantee the event goes smoothly." So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous season can transform into a source of agony for sufferers. Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely. Jenna is considering strategies to get her through the holiday dinner. The student, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, says currently her plan is to use headphones to manage the meal. On any other day, she would often retreat in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers. She explains her misophonia is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult". "There is pressure to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels. "It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then the stress response will kick in. "To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience." Several Strategies to Handle It If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, according to specialists. Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound bothering you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat. Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected. Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your reaction of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
Through experience, individuals have found methods to cope with their condition. One young woman is looking forward to being with her family this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by using her earplugs - notably for the main festive feast. For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a especially challenging time as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her intense distress. "There's this sensation of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises." Lottie has lived with this condition for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming". Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by other people. The condition is widespread across the population. Researchers discovered a significant portion of people experience it. Often it's sounds connected to bodily functions that cause distress, along with things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking. 'Anxiety Inducing' She explains: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it. "My family 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 enduring my distress to guarantee the event goes smoothly." So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous season can transform into a source of agony for sufferers. Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely. Jenna is considering strategies to get her through the holiday dinner. The student, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, says currently her plan is to use headphones to manage the meal. On any other day, she would often retreat in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers. She explains her misophonia is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult". "There is pressure to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels. "It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then the stress response will kick in. "To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience." Several Strategies to Handle It If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, according to specialists. Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound bothering you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat. Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected. Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your reaction of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.