🔗 Share this article Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia. With time, individuals develop methods to cope with their condition. Lottie is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones this Christmas, but says a primary method she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast. For her, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult time as the auditory triggers of people eating, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her intense distress. "There's this sensation of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these sounds." Lottie has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that causes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises made by those around you. It is prevalent across the population. Experts reported nearly 20% people experience it. Typically it's noises connected to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, as well as things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking. Triggering Stress Lottie says: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it. "My family are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee others enjoy themselves." So it's obvious why the traditionally happy time of the year can transform into a source of agony for affected individuals. Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a visceral feeling that can even result in them skipping events entirely. Jenna is already thinking about ways to help her during the family meal. She, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, explains currently her plan is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a separate space to escape triggering sounds. She says her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard". "People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining. "The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over. "It may seem as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience." Three Ways to Handle It If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts. Visualise a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Try to associate the specific noise affecting you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat. Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant. Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or could be emotional. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your understanding of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.
With time, individuals develop methods to cope with their condition. Lottie is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones this Christmas, but says a primary method she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast. For her, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult time as the auditory triggers of people eating, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her intense distress. "There's this sensation of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these sounds." Lottie has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that causes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises made by those around you. It is prevalent across the population. Experts reported nearly 20% people experience it. Typically it's noises connected to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, as well as things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking. Triggering Stress Lottie says: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it. "My family are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee others enjoy themselves." So it's obvious why the traditionally happy time of the year can transform into a source of agony for affected individuals. Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a visceral feeling that can even result in them skipping events entirely. Jenna is already thinking about ways to help her during the family meal. She, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, explains currently her plan is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a separate space to escape triggering sounds. She says her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard". "People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining. "The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over. "It may seem as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience." Three Ways to Handle It If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts. Visualise a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Try to associate the specific noise affecting you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat. Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant. Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or could be emotional. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your understanding of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.