🔗 Share this article The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity. With time, people have found methods to cope with their condition. A 23-year-old anticipates being with her loved ones during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her earplugs - notably for the holiday meal. For her, the holidays can be a particularly difficult time as the noises of other people chewing, sipping loudly and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety. "I get this sensation of sudden panic, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to manage these noises." She has suffered from misophonia from a young age and for her that causes the Christmas time "deeply taxing". Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, particularly those produced by other people. The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study reported a significant portion of people experience it. Frequently it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking. 'Anxiety Inducing' The sufferer notes: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it. "My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure others enjoy themselves." So it's clear why the most wonderful season can transform into a source of agony for sufferers. Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even result in them skipping events entirely. Jenna is already thinking about coping mechanisms to help her during the family meal. She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, states her strategy is to use headphones to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to avoid problematic noises. She explains her condition is worse around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard". "People assume you to be around family, and I desire to, but it's draining. "I feel as if this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will kick in. "It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it." Three Ways to Cope For those affected then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists. Imagine an Alternative: Creative thinking is crucial. Try to associate the triggering sound causing distress with something completely different. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive. Craft a Story: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or are troubled. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your reaction of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
With time, people have found methods to cope with their condition. A 23-year-old anticipates being with her loved ones during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her earplugs - notably for the holiday meal. For her, the holidays can be a particularly difficult time as the noises of other people chewing, sipping loudly and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety. "I get this sensation of sudden panic, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to manage these noises." She has suffered from misophonia from a young age and for her that causes the Christmas time "deeply taxing". Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, particularly those produced by other people. The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study reported a significant portion of people experience it. Frequently it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking. 'Anxiety Inducing' The sufferer notes: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it. "My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure others enjoy themselves." So it's clear why the most wonderful season can transform into a source of agony for sufferers. Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even result in them skipping events entirely. Jenna is already thinking about coping mechanisms to help her during the family meal. She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, states her strategy is to use headphones to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to avoid problematic noises. She explains her condition is worse around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard". "People assume you to be around family, and I desire to, but it's draining. "I feel as if this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will kick in. "It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it." Three Ways to Cope For those affected then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists. Imagine an Alternative: Creative thinking is crucial. Try to associate the triggering sound causing distress with something completely different. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive. Craft a Story: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or are troubled. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your reaction of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.