🔗 Share this article Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity. Over the years, sufferers have found ways to handle their sound sensitivity. A 23-year-old hopes for being with her relatives over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal. For her, the holidays can be a particularly difficult season as the sounds of other people chewing, sipping loudly and sniffling cause her intense distress. "I experience this sensation of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds." The individual has lived with sound sensitivity for several years and for her that renders the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, notably sounds coming from other people. The condition is widespread across the population. Experts discovered almost one in five people are affected by it. Typically it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, as well as things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping. Triggering Stress Lottie says: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it. "Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to ensure the event goes smoothly." So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can transform into a source of agony for affected individuals. Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even cause them skipping events entirely. A 21-year-old student is already thinking about strategies to help her during Christmas lunch. The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Typically, she would often retreat in a separate space to escape triggering sounds. She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging". "There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining. "It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will take over. "To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it." Several Strategies to Manage If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, according to experts. Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help shift your attention 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 having to make that sound. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your understanding of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
Over the years, sufferers have found ways to handle their sound sensitivity. A 23-year-old hopes for being with her relatives over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal. For her, the holidays can be a particularly difficult season as the sounds of other people chewing, sipping loudly and sniffling cause her intense distress. "I experience this sensation of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds." The individual has lived with sound sensitivity for several years and for her that renders the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful". Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, notably sounds coming from other people. The condition is widespread across the population. Experts discovered almost one in five people are affected by it. Typically it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, as well as things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping. Triggering Stress Lottie says: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it. "Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to ensure the event goes smoothly." So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can transform into a source of agony for affected individuals. Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even cause them skipping events entirely. A 21-year-old student is already thinking about strategies to help her during Christmas lunch. The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Typically, she would often retreat in a separate space to escape triggering sounds. She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging". "There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining. "It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will take over. "To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it." Several Strategies to Manage If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, according to experts. Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help shift your attention 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 having to make that sound. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your understanding of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.