Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.

A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her relatives this Christmas, but says one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal.

For her, the holidays often feels like a notably tough time as the noises of other people chewing, sipping loudly and sniffling trigger extremely uncomfortable.

"I get this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these sounds."

The individual has suffered from sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, particularly those produced by other people.

The condition is widespread in the UK. Researchers discovered a significant portion of people experience it.

Frequently it's noises linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

'Anxiety Inducing'

The sufferer notes: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.

"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to guarantee others enjoy themselves."

So it's clear why the most wonderful season can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.

Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.

Jenna, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, says currently her plan is to listen to music to cope. Usually, she would frequently go in a different room to minimize problematic noises.

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

"There's an expectation to be around family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.

"It's like this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then the stress response will activate.

"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."

A Few Techniques to Manage

For those affected then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from experts.

1. Visualise an Alternative: Creative thinking is crucial. Try to associate the triggering sound causing distress with something completely different. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
2. Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.