Yuletide Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.

One young woman hopes for being with her loved ones this Christmas, but admits a key strategy she'll endure is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at Christmas dinner.

For her, the holidays is a notably tough season as the noises of family members munching, drinking noisily and nose-blowing trigger extremely uncomfortable.

"I experience this feeling of sudden panic, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to manage these noises."

The individual has suffered from sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that makes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, especially noises coming from those around you.

The condition is widespread in the UK. A study found almost one in five people are affected by it.

Often it's noises linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.

Triggering Stress

She explains: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you fear it.

"My relatives are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to ensure others enjoy themselves."

So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy season can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.

Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.

The student, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, says her strategy is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to minimize problematic noises.

She explains her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".

"People assume you to be around family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.

"The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then panic will take over.

"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."

A Few Techniques to Manage

For those affected then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, according to specialists.

1. Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
2. Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. By mimicking, 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 create a little story about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or could be emotional. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.