Christmas Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.

A 23-year-old anticipates spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal.

In her case, Christmas often feels like a notably tough time as the noises of people eating, sipping loudly and sniffling trigger extremely uncomfortable.

"I experience this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these triggers."

She has suffered from this condition for several years and for her that makes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, particularly those coming from individuals.

The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study discovered almost one in five people suffer from it.

Often it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, along with examples such as chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

A Source of Dread

She explains: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.

"My relatives are understanding, 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 guarantee everyone else is happy."

So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can transform into a living nightmare for sufferers.

Noises that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a visceral feeling that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.

Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize problematic noises.

She notes her condition is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".

"There is pressure to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"It's like this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then panic will kick in.

"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."

Three Ways to Cope

If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from experts.

1. Visualise Something Else: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.