🔗 Share this article Christmas Transforms Into a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity. With time, individuals have found ways to try to better manage their sound sensitivity. One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones during the festive period, but admits a primary method she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at 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 intense distress. "I get this sensation of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises." The individual has lived with sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that causes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds produced by those around you. It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts found nearly 20% people are affected by it. Typically it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including things like crunching, breathing, and foot tapping. 'Anxiety Inducing' Lottie says: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it. "My relatives are aware, 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 make sure others enjoy themselves." So it's obvious why the most wonderful time of the year can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers. Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a visceral feeling that can even result in them skipping events entirely. Jenna is considering strategies to manage Christmas lunch. She, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Typically, she would frequently go in a separate space to minimize distressing triggers. She says her misophonia is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult". "People assume you to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels. "The sensation is this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will take over. "To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it." Several Strategies to Handle It If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by specialists. Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Work on connecting the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful. Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant. Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your understanding of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
With time, individuals have found ways to try to better manage their sound sensitivity. One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones during the festive period, but admits a primary method she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at 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 intense distress. "I get this sensation of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises." The individual has lived with sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that causes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds produced by those around you. It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts found nearly 20% people are affected by it. Typically it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including things like crunching, breathing, and foot tapping. 'Anxiety Inducing' Lottie says: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it. "My relatives are aware, 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 make sure others enjoy themselves." So it's obvious why the most wonderful time of the year can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers. Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a visceral feeling that can even result in them skipping events entirely. Jenna is considering strategies to manage Christmas lunch. She, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Typically, she would frequently go in a separate space to minimize distressing triggers. She says her misophonia is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult". "People assume you to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels. "The sensation is this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will take over. "To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it." Several Strategies to Handle It If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by specialists. Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Work on connecting the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful. Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant. Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your understanding of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.