đŸ”— Share this article Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia. With time, sufferers discover ways to try to better manage their misophonia. A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at the main festive feast. In her case, this time of year can be a notably tough time as the sounds of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily trigger intense distress. "I experience this wave of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to manage these triggers." The individual has lived with this condition for several years and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming". Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds made by individuals. It is prevalent amongst adults. Experts reported nearly 20% people are affected by it. Typically it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that cause distress, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking. A Source of Dread Lottie says: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it. "My relatives are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure the event goes smoothly." So it's clear why the supposedly joyous time of the year can rapidly become a living nightmare for affected individuals. Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a powerful reaction that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings. A 21-year-old student is planning coping mechanisms to manage the family meal. The student, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, says the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds. She says her condition is more intense around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult". "There is pressure to be around 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 anxious and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate. "It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it." A Few Techniques to Manage For those affected then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by specialists. Picture Something Else: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral. Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive. Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your understanding of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.
With time, sufferers discover ways to try to better manage their misophonia. A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at the main festive feast. In her case, this time of year can be a notably tough time as the sounds of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily trigger intense distress. "I experience this wave of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to manage these triggers." The individual has lived with this condition for several years and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming". Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds made by individuals. It is prevalent amongst adults. Experts reported nearly 20% people are affected by it. Typically it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that cause distress, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking. A Source of Dread Lottie says: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it. "My relatives are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure the event goes smoothly." So it's clear why the supposedly joyous time of the year can rapidly become a living nightmare for affected individuals. Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a powerful reaction that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings. A 21-year-old student is planning coping mechanisms to manage the family meal. The student, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, says the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds. She says her condition is more intense around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult". "There is pressure to be around 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 anxious and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate. "It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it." A Few Techniques to Manage For those affected then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by specialists. Picture Something Else: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral. Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive. Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your understanding of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.