Christmas Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.

One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but notes a key strategy she'll endure is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.

For the 23-year-old, the holidays can be a notably tough time as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing trigger extremely uncomfortable.

"I get this sensation of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to manage these noises."

Lottie has suffered from this condition for several years and for her that renders the Christmas time "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, especially noises made by those around you.

It's surprisingly common in the UK. A study found a significant portion of people experience it.

Typically it's noises connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.

A Source of Dread

The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.

"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to ensure others enjoy themselves."

So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a source of agony for sufferers.

Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a visceral feeling that can even result in them skipping events entirely.

She, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, states her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to avoid triggering sounds.

She says her misophonia is more intense around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard".

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

"It's like this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will activate.

"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."

Several Strategies to Manage

If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from experts.

1. Visualise an Alternative: Imagination is key. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
2. Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
3. Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or are troubled. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.