🔗 Share this article Christmas Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity. Over the years, sufferers discover ways to try to better manage their sound sensitivity. 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 wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the main festive feast. For her, this time of year can be a particularly difficult time as the noises of other people chewing, drinking noisily and breathing heavily cause her extremely uncomfortable. "I experience this sensation of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these noises." The individual has lived with sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that makes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, especially noises made by individuals. The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people suffer from it. Typically it's noises linked to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking. Triggering Stress The sufferer notes: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it. "My relatives are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to guarantee others enjoy themselves." So it's obvious why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for sufferers. Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely. A 21-year-old student is planning strategies to get her through Christmas lunch. Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, states currently her plan is to use headphones to get through dinner. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize problematic noises. She says her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard". "People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining. "I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then the stress response will activate. "It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience." Three Ways to Cope For those affected then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to clinical psychologists. Visualise a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral. Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant. Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your reaction of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
Over the years, sufferers discover ways to try to better manage their sound sensitivity. 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 wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the main festive feast. For her, this time of year can be a particularly difficult time as the noises of other people chewing, drinking noisily and breathing heavily cause her extremely uncomfortable. "I experience this sensation of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these noises." The individual has lived with sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that makes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, especially noises made by individuals. The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people suffer from it. Typically it's noises linked to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking. Triggering Stress The sufferer notes: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it. "My relatives are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to guarantee others enjoy themselves." So it's obvious why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for sufferers. Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely. A 21-year-old student is planning strategies to get her through Christmas lunch. Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, states currently her plan is to use headphones to get through dinner. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize problematic noises. She says her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard". "People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining. "I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then the stress response will activate. "It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience." Three Ways to Cope For those affected then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to clinical psychologists. Visualise a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral. Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant. Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your reaction of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.