🔗 Share this article Yuletide Can Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity. With time, sufferers have found ways to handle their sound sensitivity. A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the main festive feast. For her, Christmas can be a particularly difficult season as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and breathing heavily trigger extremely uncomfortable. "There's this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just freeze and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to manage these noises." The individual has suffered from this condition for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, particularly those produced by individuals. It's surprisingly common in the UK. Experts found almost one in five people suffer from it. Frequently it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, along with things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping. 'Anxiety Inducing' She explains: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you fear it. "Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to ensure others enjoy themselves." So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers. Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether. A 21-year-old student is planning coping mechanisms to manage the family meal. She, a university student, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, says currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would often retreat in a quiet area to avoid distressing triggers. She notes her condition is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard". "People assume you to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels. "It's like this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over. "It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience." A Few Techniques to Handle It If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by specialists. Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the particular sound causing distress with something completely different. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful. Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected. Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
With time, sufferers have found ways to handle their sound sensitivity. A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the main festive feast. For her, Christmas can be a particularly difficult season as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and breathing heavily trigger extremely uncomfortable. "There's this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just freeze and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to manage these noises." The individual has suffered from this condition for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, particularly those produced by individuals. It's surprisingly common in the UK. Experts found almost one in five people suffer from it. Frequently it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, along with things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping. 'Anxiety Inducing' She explains: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you fear it. "Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to ensure others enjoy themselves." So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers. Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether. A 21-year-old student is planning coping mechanisms to manage the family meal. She, a university student, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, says currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would often retreat in a quiet area to avoid distressing triggers. She notes her condition is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard". "People assume you to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels. "It's like this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over. "It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience." A Few Techniques to Handle It If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by specialists. Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the particular sound causing distress with something completely different. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful. Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected. Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.