🔗 Share this article Christmas Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity. With time, individuals have found methods to handle their sound sensitivity. A 23-year-old anticipates being with her family over the holidays, but says a primary method she'll endure is by using her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal. In her case, Christmas is a particularly difficult season as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel intense distress. "There's this wave of sudden panic, my whole body will just tense up and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these sounds." The individual has suffered from sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "deeply taxing". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, particularly those coming from individuals. It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers found a significant portion of people suffer from it. Typically it's noises connected to bodily functions that cause distress, including things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking. 'Anxiety Inducing' She explains: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it. "Those close to me are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee everyone else is happy." So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition. Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a visceral feeling that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings. Jenna is considering ways to help her during the holiday dinner. Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to avoid problematic noises. She notes her misophonia is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard". "There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels. "The sensation is this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will kick in. "It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it." A Few Techniques to Handle It If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists. Visualise an Alternative: Imagination is crucial. Try to associate the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral. Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant. Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your reaction of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.
With time, individuals have found methods to handle their sound sensitivity. A 23-year-old anticipates being with her family over the holidays, but says a primary method she'll endure is by using her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal. In her case, Christmas is a particularly difficult season as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel intense distress. "There's this wave of sudden panic, my whole body will just tense up and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these sounds." The individual has suffered from sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "deeply taxing". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, particularly those coming from individuals. It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers found a significant portion of people suffer from it. Typically it's noises connected to bodily functions that cause distress, including things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking. 'Anxiety Inducing' She explains: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it. "Those close to me are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee everyone else is happy." So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition. Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a visceral feeling that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings. Jenna is considering ways to help her during the holiday dinner. Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to avoid problematic noises. She notes her misophonia is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard". "There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels. "The sensation is this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will kick in. "It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it." A Few Techniques to Handle It If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists. Visualise an Alternative: Imagination is crucial. Try to associate the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral. Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant. Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your reaction of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.