🔗 Share this article The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity. Over the years, sufferers have found ways to handle their sound sensitivity. One young woman is looking forward to seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but admits a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her earplugs - notably for the main festive feast. For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of family members munching, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel intense distress. "There's this sensation of sudden panic, my whole body will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to stop these sounds." She has experienced sound sensitivity for several years and for her that causes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by other people. It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts found nearly 20% people suffer from it. Often it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as chewing, breathing, and foot tapping. 'Anxiety Inducing' She explains: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it. "My relatives are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy." So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can transform into a source of agony for those with the condition. Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a powerful reaction that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether. Another individual is considering strategies to help her during Christmas lunch. The student, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity from childhood, states the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to avoid triggering sounds. She says her condition is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging". "There is pressure to be around family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "It's like this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will kick in. "It may seem as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience." Three Ways to Manage If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to specialists. Picture Something Else: Imagination is crucial. Try to associate the specific noise causing distress with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant. Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your reaction of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
Over the years, sufferers have found ways to handle their sound sensitivity. One young woman is looking forward to seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but admits a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her earplugs - notably for the main festive feast. For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of family members munching, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel intense distress. "There's this sensation of sudden panic, my whole body will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to stop these sounds." She has experienced sound sensitivity for several years and for her that causes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by other people. It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts found nearly 20% people suffer from it. Often it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as chewing, breathing, and foot tapping. 'Anxiety Inducing' She explains: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it. "My relatives are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy." So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can transform into a source of agony for those with the condition. Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a powerful reaction that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether. Another individual is considering strategies to help her during Christmas lunch. The student, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity from childhood, states the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to avoid triggering sounds. She says her condition is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging". "There is pressure to be around family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "It's like this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will kick in. "It may seem as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience." Three Ways to Manage If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to specialists. Picture Something Else: Imagination is crucial. Try to associate the specific noise causing distress with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant. Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your reaction of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.