Christmas Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.

One young woman hopes for being with her relatives over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at Christmas dinner.

For her, the holidays is a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of people eating, sipping loudly and nose-blowing trigger intense distress.

"I get this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these noises."

The individual has experienced misophonia since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, particularly those produced by other people.

It is prevalent in the UK. Experts found almost one in five people experience it.

Often it's noises linked to bodily functions that cause distress, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.

'Anxiety Inducing'

She explains: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.

"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to ensure others enjoy themselves."

So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for affected individuals.

Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.

Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to manage the meal. On any other day, she would frequently go in a separate space to avoid distressing triggers.

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

"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining.

"It's like this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will take over.

"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."

Several Strategies to Manage

For those affected then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.

1. Imagine a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the particular sound causing distress with something completely different. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.