The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.

A 23-year-old hopes for being with her loved ones during the festive period, but notes a primary method she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the main festive feast.

For the 23-year-old, Christmas is a notably tough season as the auditory triggers of people eating, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel extremely uncomfortable.

"I get this sensation of sudden panic, my entire being will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to manage these noises."

The individual has suffered from this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds coming from individuals.

The condition is widespread amongst adults. Experts found almost one in five people experience it.

Frequently it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.

A Source of Dread

Lottie says: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.

"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure the event goes smoothly."

So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful time of the year can rapidly become a living nightmare for affected individuals.

Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a visceral feeling that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.

The student, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to get through dinner. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.

She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard".

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

"It's like this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then the stress response will take over.

"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."

A Few Techniques to Handle It

If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by specialists.

1. Imagine Something Else: Imagination is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound bothering you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
2. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.