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

One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the main festive feast.

For the 23-year-old, Christmas is a especially challenging time as the noises of people eating, drinking noisily and breathing heavily trigger extremely uncomfortable.

"I experience this feeling of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds."

The individual has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that causes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, particularly those coming from individuals.

It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers reported nearly 20% people are affected by it.

Typically it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, as well as things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.

'Anxiety Inducing'

Lottie says: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you fear it.

"My family are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure the event goes smoothly."

So it's obvious why the most wonderful season can transform into a source of agony for those with the condition.

Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can cause a powerful reaction that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.

She, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to escape triggering sounds.

She says her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".

"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.

"It's like this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate.

"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."

Several Strategies to Cope

If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to clinical psychologists.

1. Visualise an Alternative: Creative thinking is key. Attempt to link the specific noise causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
3. Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or could be emotional. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your understanding of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.