The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.

One young woman is looking forward to seeing her loved ones during the festive period, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during Christmas dinner.

For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult period as the sounds of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling trigger intense distress.

"I get this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to manage these sounds."

She has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, particularly those made by individuals.

It's surprisingly common across the population. Experts found almost one in five people experience it.

Often it's noises associated with bodily functions that cause distress, including things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.

'Anxiety Inducing'

Lottie says: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.

"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure the event goes smoothly."

So it's obvious why the most wonderful time of the year can transform into a source of agony for sufferers.

Noises that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.

The student, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to avoid problematic noises.

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

"People assume you to be around family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.

"I feel as if this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will kick in.

"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."

Several Strategies to Handle It

For those affected then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from experts.

1. Imagine Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this 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 challenge involving the source. As an example, 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 willing part. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.