Christmas Transforms Into a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.

One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at the main festive feast.

For her, this time of year is a notably tough time as the noises of family members munching, drinking noisily and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable.

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

The individual has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that causes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises produced by individuals.

The condition is widespread amongst adults. Experts discovered almost one in five people experience it.

Often it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that cause distress, along with things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

A Source of Dread

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

"My family are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly."

So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can transform into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.

Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.

She, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, says her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to avoid triggering sounds.

She says her misophonia is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".

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

"It's like this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will activate.

"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."

Three Ways to Handle It

If you suffer then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from specialists.

1. Visualise a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
2. Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.