The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.

One young woman anticipates being with her loved ones over the holidays, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.

For her, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult time as the sounds of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing trigger extremely uncomfortable.

"I get this feeling of instant dread, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to stop these noises."

The individual has suffered from sound sensitivity for several years and for her that renders the festive season "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, notably sounds coming from those around you.

The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers reported almost one in five people experience it.

Often it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.

'Anxiety Inducing'

Lottie says: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.

"My relatives are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure others enjoy themselves."

So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.

Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.

The student, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, says currently her plan is to put her earphones in to cope. Usually, she would often retreat in a quiet area to avoid distressing triggers.

She says her condition is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".

"People assume you to socialize with family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"It's like this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.

"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."

Several Strategies to Cope

If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from specialists.

1. Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound causing distress with a neutral concept. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
2. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
3. Craft a Story: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.