Christmas Can Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.

A 23-year-old is looking forward to seeing her loved ones over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.

For her, Christmas can be a notably tough season as the auditory triggers of people eating, sipping loudly and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable.

"I get this feeling of instant dread, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to stop these triggers."

Lottie has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, particularly those coming from individuals.

The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study reported almost one in five people are affected by it.

Frequently it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

Triggering Stress

She explains: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.

"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure others enjoy themselves."

So it's obvious why the most wonderful season can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.

Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.

Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, states her strategy is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to avoid problematic noises.

She explains her misophonia is more intense around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".

"There's an expectation to be around family, and I wish to, but it's draining.

"It's like this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will kick in.

"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."

A Few Techniques to Handle It

For those affected then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts.

1. Visualise Something Else: Imagination is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
2. Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your reaction of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.