The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.

One young woman is looking forward to being with her family this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal.

In her case, the holidays is a especially challenging period as the noises of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling make her feel intense distress.

"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my whole body will just tighten and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these triggers."

Lottie has experienced sound sensitivity for several years and for her that makes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, notably sounds made by individuals.

It is prevalent across the population. Experts reported nearly 20% people are affected by it.

Often it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, including examples such as crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

A Source of Dread

Lottie says: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.

"My family are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy."

So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous period can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers.

Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.

Jenna, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, states currently her plan is to listen to music to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.

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

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

"It's like this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.

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

A Few Techniques to Manage

For those affected then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, according to experts.

1. Visualise Something Else: Mental imagery is crucial. Attempt to link the triggering sound causing distress with a neutral concept. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
2. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.