🔗 Share this article Christmas Can Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity. Over the years, sufferers discover methods to cope with their condition. One young woman anticipates being with her family this Christmas, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast. In her case, Christmas is a especially challenging period as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety. "There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tighten and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these sounds." Lottie has suffered from sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, especially noises made by individuals. The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study reported almost one in five people suffer from it. Often it's sounds connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping. 'Anxiety Inducing' The sufferer notes: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it. "Those close to me are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to ensure everyone else is happy." So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous period can rapidly become a source of agony for affected individuals. Noises that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even result in them skipping events entirely. Another individual is planning coping mechanisms to manage the holiday dinner. The student, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, explains her strategy is to listen to music to manage the meal. Usually, she would often retreat in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds. She explains her condition is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging". "There is pressure to socialize with family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "I feel as if this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then the stress response will take over. "To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience." Several Strategies to Cope If you suffer then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from experts. Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the triggering sound affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal 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 game with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected. Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your understanding of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
Over the years, sufferers discover methods to cope with their condition. One young woman anticipates being with her family this Christmas, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast. In her case, Christmas is a especially challenging period as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety. "There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tighten and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these sounds." Lottie has suffered from sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, especially noises made by individuals. The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study reported almost one in five people suffer from it. Often it's sounds connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping. 'Anxiety Inducing' The sufferer notes: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it. "Those close to me are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to ensure everyone else is happy." So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous period can rapidly become a source of agony for affected individuals. Noises that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even result in them skipping events entirely. Another individual is planning coping mechanisms to manage the holiday dinner. The student, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, explains her strategy is to listen to music to manage the meal. Usually, she would often retreat in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds. She explains her condition is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging". "There is pressure to socialize with family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging. "I feel as if this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then the stress response will take over. "To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience." Several Strategies to Cope If you suffer then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from experts. Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the triggering sound affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal 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 game with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected. Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your understanding of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.