Christmas Transforms Into a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.

One young woman anticipates being with her family during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the main festive feast.

For her, the holidays can be a notably tough season as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and breathing heavily make her feel profound anxiety.

"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."

Lottie has suffered from this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, particularly those produced by individuals.

The condition is widespread amongst adults. Experts found a significant portion of people suffer from it.

Typically it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, including things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.

Triggering Stress

The sufferer notes: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.

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

So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy period can transform into a source of agony for affected individuals.

Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a strong emotional response that can even cause them skipping events entirely.

She, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, says the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to avoid triggering sounds.

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

"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's draining.

"The sensation is this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then the stress response will activate.

"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."

Three Ways to Manage

If you suffer then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to specialists.

1. Visualise a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the specific noise affecting you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
2. Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. By joining in, 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 a little less affected.
3. Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or could be emotional. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.