Christmas Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.

One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones this Christmas, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal.

For her, this time of year can be a especially challenging season as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling trigger extremely uncomfortable.

"I experience this feeling of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."

Lottie has suffered from misophonia since she was 16 and for her that causes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, especially noises produced by those around you.

It's surprisingly common amongst adults. A study found nearly 20% people suffer from it.

Often it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.

'Anxiety Inducing'

The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.

"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to guarantee everyone else is happy."

So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous period can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals.

Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.

Jenna, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Usually, she would often retreat in a separate space to escape problematic noises.

She says her condition is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".

"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"I feel as if this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will kick in.

"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."

Three Ways to Manage

If you suffer then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.

1. Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Attempt to link the triggering sound affecting you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
2. Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.