Christmas Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.

A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her family during the festive period, but notes a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by using her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the holiday meal.

For her, the holidays can be a notably tough season as the auditory triggers of family members munching, slurping and breathing heavily trigger intense distress.

"There's this wave of sudden panic, my whole body will just tighten and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these noises."

She has suffered from sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that renders the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, particularly those coming from individuals.

The condition is widespread in the UK. Researchers found nearly 20% people suffer from it.

Frequently it's noises associated with eating or drinking that cause distress, along with things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.

'Anxiety Inducing'

Lottie says: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.

"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to make sure everyone else is happy."

So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can rapidly become a living nightmare for sufferers.

Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a visceral feeling that can even result in them skipping events entirely.

The student, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, states her strategy is to use headphones to cope. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize problematic noises.

She says her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".

"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.

"I feel as if this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then panic will take over.

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

Three Ways to Cope

If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from specialists.

1. Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the triggering sound affecting you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
2. Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
3. Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or are troubled. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.