Christmas Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.

One young woman hopes for being with her loved ones this Christmas, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal.

For the 23-year-old, the holidays can be a especially challenging time as the sounds of other people chewing, sipping loudly and sniffling trigger intense distress.

"There's this wave of sudden panic, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these triggers."

Lottie has suffered from misophonia since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by individuals.

The condition is widespread across the population. A study discovered a significant portion of people suffer from it.

Often it's noises associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.

'Anxiety Inducing'

She explains: "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 understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure the event goes smoothly."

So it's clear why the most wonderful season can transform into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.

Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can cause a strong emotional response that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.

Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity from childhood, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.

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

"There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.

"The sensation is this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will kick in.

"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."

Several Strategies to Manage

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

1. Picture Something Else: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the triggering sound bothering you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. This technique 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 have a go at joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
3. Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or could be emotional. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.