Christmas Transforms Into a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.

A 23-year-old anticipates being with her family during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal.

For her, this time of year often feels like a especially challenging season as the sounds of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.

"I experience this wave of instant dread, my whole body will just tighten and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these triggers."

The individual has lived with this condition since she was 16 and for her that renders the Christmas time "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, notably sounds made by other people.

It is prevalent amongst adults. Researchers found almost one in five people are affected by it.

Frequently it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, along with things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

'Anxiety Inducing'

She explains: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.

"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure the event goes smoothly."

So it's clear why the most wonderful season can rapidly become a living nightmare for sufferers.

Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a visceral feeling that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.

The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, explains her strategy is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize problematic noises.

She says her misophonia is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".

"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will kick in.

"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."

A Few Techniques to Manage

If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to specialists.

1. Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the specific noise causing distress with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
3. Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.