๐ Share this article Christmas Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers. Over the years, individuals develop ways to cope with their misophonia. One young woman anticipates seeing her family over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal. For her, Christmas often feels like a particularly difficult season as the noises of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily make her feel extremely uncomfortable. "I experience this wave of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds." Lottie has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, notably sounds made by those around you. The condition is widespread across the population. A study found nearly 20% people suffer from it. Typically it's sounds connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including examples such as chewing, breathing, and foot tapping. A Source of Dread Lottie says: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it. "Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to ensure others enjoy themselves." So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can transform into a source of agony for those with the condition. Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether. A 21-year-old student is considering ways to get her through the holiday dinner. The student, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, explains her strategy is to use headphones to cope. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize distressing triggers. She notes her condition is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard". "People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "I feel as if this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will activate. "To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience." A Few Techniques to Manage For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts. Visualise Something Else: Imagination is crucial. Try to associate the particular sound bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant. Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
Over the years, individuals develop ways to cope with their misophonia. One young woman anticipates seeing her family over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal. For her, Christmas often feels like a particularly difficult season as the noises of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily make her feel extremely uncomfortable. "I experience this wave of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds." Lottie has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, notably sounds made by those around you. The condition is widespread across the population. A study found nearly 20% people suffer from it. Typically it's sounds connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including examples such as chewing, breathing, and foot tapping. A Source of Dread Lottie says: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it. "Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to ensure others enjoy themselves." So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can transform into a source of agony for those with the condition. Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether. A 21-year-old student is considering ways to get her through the holiday dinner. The student, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, explains her strategy is to use headphones to cope. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize distressing triggers. She notes her condition is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard". "People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "I feel as if this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will activate. "To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience." A Few Techniques to Manage For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts. Visualise Something Else: Imagination is crucial. Try to associate the particular sound bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant. Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.