The Holiday Season Can Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.

One young woman anticipates being with her loved ones over the holidays, but admits a key strategy she'll cope is by using her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner.

For the 23-year-old, the holidays is a especially challenging time as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety.

"There's this sensation of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these triggers."

The individual has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that causes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from those around you.

The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study reported nearly 20% people experience it.

Frequently it's noises associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.

A Source of Dread

Lottie says: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.

"My family are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves."

So it's obvious why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a source of agony for those with the condition.

Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can cause a powerful reaction that can even result in them skipping events entirely.

The student, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity from childhood, explains the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would frequently go in a different room to escape triggering sounds.

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

"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will take over.

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

Several Strategies to Handle It

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

1. Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the particular sound bothering you with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your reaction of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.