🔗 Share this article The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity. Through experience, sufferers discover strategies to cope with their sound sensitivity. A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her hearing protection - especially during Christmas dinner. In her case, this time of year is a especially challenging time as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable. "There's this wave of instant dread, my every muscle will just tense up and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these sounds." Lottie has experienced sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming". Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises produced by individuals. It's surprisingly common in the UK. A study found nearly 20% people suffer from it. Frequently it's noises connected to eating or drinking that cause distress, along with examples such as chewing, breathing, and foot tapping. Triggering Stress She explains: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it. "My relatives are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to guarantee others enjoy themselves." So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can transform into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals. Noises that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a strong emotional response that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings. A 21-year-old student is already thinking about coping mechanisms to help her during the holiday dinner. Jenna, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity from childhood, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to escape problematic noises. She says her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult". "There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "I feel as if this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will take over. "It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it." A Few Techniques to Cope If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from experts. Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Attempt to link the triggering sound bothering you with a neutral concept. For instance, 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 isn't harmful. Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant. Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
Through experience, sufferers discover strategies to cope with their sound sensitivity. A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her hearing protection - especially during Christmas dinner. In her case, this time of year is a especially challenging time as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable. "There's this wave of instant dread, my every muscle will just tense up and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these sounds." Lottie has experienced sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming". Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises produced by individuals. It's surprisingly common in the UK. A study found nearly 20% people suffer from it. Frequently it's noises connected to eating or drinking that cause distress, along with examples such as chewing, breathing, and foot tapping. Triggering Stress She explains: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it. "My relatives are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to guarantee others enjoy themselves." So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can transform into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals. Noises that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a strong emotional response that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings. A 21-year-old student is already thinking about coping mechanisms to help her during the holiday dinner. Jenna, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity from childhood, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to escape problematic noises. She says her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult". "There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "I feel as if this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will take over. "It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it." A Few Techniques to Cope If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from experts. Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Attempt to link the triggering sound bothering you with a neutral concept. For instance, 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 isn't harmful. Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant. Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.