Christmas Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.

A 23-year-old anticipates spending time with her loved ones this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by using her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal.

For her, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult period as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and breathing heavily cause her profound anxiety.

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

Lottie has experienced misophonia since she was 16 and for her that renders the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds made by other people.

It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers discovered almost one in five people are affected by it.

Typically it's noises linked to bodily functions that cause distress, as well as things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

'Anxiety Inducing'

The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.

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

So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful season can transform into a living nightmare for affected individuals.

Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.

The student, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains currently her plan is to listen to music to get through dinner. On any other day, she would often retreat in a separate space to escape distressing triggers.

She says her condition is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".

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

"I feel as if this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will activate.

"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."

Three Ways to Manage

If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.

1. Imagine a Different Scenario: Imagination is key. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with an unrelated image. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
2. Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.