Christmas Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.

A 23-year-old is looking forward to seeing her family during the festive period, but notes a primary method she'll endure is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at Christmas dinner.

For the 23-year-old, Christmas often feels like a notably tough time as the noises of family members munching, slurping and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.

"I get this feeling of sudden panic, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to manage these noises."

The individual has lived with sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, particularly those made by those around you.

The condition is widespread in the UK. A study reported a significant portion of people are affected by it.

Often it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, as well as things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.

'Anxiety Inducing'

Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it.

"My family are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. 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 transform into a living nightmare for those with the condition.

Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can trigger a visceral feeling that can even cause them skipping events entirely.

Jenna, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity from childhood, says currently her plan is to use headphones to get through dinner. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to avoid problematic noises.

She notes her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".

"People assume you to be around family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.

"It's like this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.

"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."

Three Ways to Manage

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

1. Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is essential. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
2. Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.