Yuletide Can Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.

A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her relatives this Christmas, but notes a primary method she'll cope is by using her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal.

For the 23-year-old, this time of year can be a particularly difficult season as the noises of family members munching, slurping and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety.

"I experience this sensation of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to stop these triggers."

The individual has experienced sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that causes the festive season "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds produced by other people.

It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people suffer from it.

Often it's sounds connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, as well as things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.

'Anxiety Inducing'

The sufferer notes: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.

"My relatives are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure everyone else is happy."

So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous period can transform into a living nightmare for those with the condition.

Noises that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.

The student, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, states the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to minimize problematic noises.

She says her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".

"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.

"It's like this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then panic will activate.

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

Three Ways to Cope

If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to specialists.

1. Picture Something Else: Imagination is essential. Work on connecting the triggering sound causing distress with something completely different. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
2. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.