Christmas Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.

A 23-year-old hopes for being with her family during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.

For the 23-year-old, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging time as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and nose-blowing make her feel intense distress.

"I get this wave of instant dread, my whole body will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these noises."

Lottie has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds produced by those around you.

It is prevalent amongst adults. Experts reported almost one in five people are affected by it.

Often it's sounds associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, as well as things like crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.

'Anxiety Inducing'

The sufferer notes: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.

"My relatives are aware, 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 guarantee everyone else is happy."

So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can rapidly become a living nightmare for sufferers.

Noises that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them skipping events entirely.

Jenna, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says her strategy is to put her earphones in to cope. Usually, she would often retreat in a separate space to escape distressing triggers.

She notes her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".

"People assume you to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.

"It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will kick in.

"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."

Three Ways to Manage

For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.

1. Imagine a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the particular sound affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
2. Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
3. Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.