🔗 Share this article Christmas Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers. With time, people have found ways to handle their misophonia. Lottie is looking forward to being with her relatives during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll cope is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner. For her, Christmas is a especially challenging time as the sounds of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling trigger intense distress. "I experience this wave of instant dread, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to manage these sounds." She has suffered from this condition for several years and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming". Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by other people. The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers found nearly 20% people suffer from it. Typically it's noises associated with bodily functions that cause distress, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping. A Source of Dread Lottie says: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it. "My relatives are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure the event goes smoothly." So it's clear why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition. Noises that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even cause them skipping events entirely. A 21-year-old student is already thinking about ways to get her through Christmas lunch. The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, says her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers. She notes her sensitivity is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult". "People assume you to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will take over. "It can come across as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it." Three Ways to Manage If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, according to experts. Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the triggering sound causing distress with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat. Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. For instance, 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 engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected. Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
With time, people have found ways to handle their misophonia. Lottie is looking forward to being with her relatives during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll cope is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner. For her, Christmas is a especially challenging time as the sounds of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling trigger intense distress. "I experience this wave of instant dread, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to manage these sounds." She has suffered from this condition for several years and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming". Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by other people. The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers found nearly 20% people suffer from it. Typically it's noises associated with bodily functions that cause distress, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping. A Source of Dread Lottie says: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it. "My relatives are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure the event goes smoothly." So it's clear why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition. Noises that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even cause them skipping events entirely. A 21-year-old student is already thinking about ways to get her through Christmas lunch. The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, says her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers. She notes her sensitivity is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult". "People assume you to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will take over. "It can come across as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it." Three Ways to Manage If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, according to experts. Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the triggering sound causing distress with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat. Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. For instance, 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 engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected. Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.