The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.

One young woman anticipates being with her family during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner.

For her, this time of year is a particularly difficult season as the sounds of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.

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

The individual has suffered from misophonia for several years and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises coming from individuals.

It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers found nearly 20% people suffer from it.

Frequently it's sounds linked to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, as well as things like crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.

'Anxiety Inducing'

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

"Those close to me 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 living nightmare for affected individuals.

Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can provoke a powerful reaction that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.

The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, says the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to get through dinner. On any other day, she would often retreat in a quiet area to avoid problematic noises.

She notes her condition is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".

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

"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 oversensitive and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."

Three Ways to Handle It

If you suffer then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, according to experts.

1. Visualise Something Else: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the triggering sound causing distress with something completely different. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or could be emotional. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your understanding of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.