Christmas Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.

A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her loved ones during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the holiday meal.

For her, Christmas often feels like a notably tough season as the noises of family members munching, slurping and sniffling make her feel intense distress.

"I get this sensation of instant dread, my every muscle will just freeze and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these triggers."

The individual has experienced sound sensitivity for several years and for her that causes the festive season "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, especially noises produced by individuals.

The condition is widespread in the UK. A study discovered almost one in five people are affected by it.

Typically it's noises associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

Triggering Stress

She explains: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you fear it.

"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy."

So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can rapidly become a living nightmare for sufferers.

Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a visceral feeling that can even result in them skipping events entirely.

Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, explains the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to cope. Typically, she would frequently go in a different room to minimize distressing triggers.

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

"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"I feel as if this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will activate.

"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."

Several Strategies to Manage

If you suffer then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.

1. Imagine Something Else: Imagination is essential. Attempt to link the specific noise causing distress with something completely different. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
2. Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
3. Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your understanding of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.