The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.

A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but notes one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner.

For the 23-year-old, the holidays can be a especially challenging period as the sounds of other people chewing, sipping loudly and breathing heavily make her feel profound anxiety.

"There's this wave of instant dread, my whole body will just tense up and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to manage these triggers."

She has lived with this condition from a young age and for her that makes the festive season "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, notably sounds coming from individuals.

It is prevalent in the UK. Experts discovered nearly 20% people are affected by it.

Often it's noises associated with bodily functions that cause distress, including examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.

'Anxiety Inducing'

The sufferer notes: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.

"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure others enjoy themselves."

So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous season can rapidly become a living nightmare for affected individuals.

Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.

Jenna, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. On any other day, she would frequently go in a different room to minimize triggering sounds.

She notes her sensitivity is more intense around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".

"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.

"I feel as if this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will take over.

"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."

A Few Techniques to Handle It

If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts.

1. Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the specific noise causing distress with an unrelated image. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
2. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily 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 game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or are troubled. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your reaction of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.