🔗 Share this article The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity. With time, people discover methods to try to better manage their misophonia. Lottie is looking forward to spending time with her family over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by using her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal. In her case, the holidays can be a particularly difficult time as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and breathing heavily cause her extremely uncomfortable. "I get this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these triggers." Lottie has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by other people. It's surprisingly common across the population. Experts discovered almost one in five people experience it. Typically it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, along with things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking. 'Anxiety Inducing' Lottie says: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it. "My family are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly." So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals. Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether. Jenna is considering coping mechanisms to help her during the holiday dinner. She, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid problematic noises. She says her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "difficult". "There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "The sensation is this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will kick in. "It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it." A Few Techniques to Handle It For those affected then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts. Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat. Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant. Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
With time, people discover methods to try to better manage their misophonia. Lottie is looking forward to spending time with her family over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by using her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal. In her case, the holidays can be a particularly difficult time as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and breathing heavily cause her extremely uncomfortable. "I get this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these triggers." Lottie has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by other people. It's surprisingly common across the population. Experts discovered almost one in five people experience it. Typically it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, along with things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking. 'Anxiety Inducing' Lottie says: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it. "My family are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly." So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals. Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether. Jenna is considering coping mechanisms to help her during the holiday dinner. She, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid problematic noises. She says her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "difficult". "There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "The sensation is this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will kick in. "It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it." A Few Techniques to Handle It For those affected then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts. Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat. Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant. Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.