Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.

One young woman is looking forward to seeing her relatives over the holidays, but says a key strategy she'll cope is by relying on her earplugs - notably for Christmas dinner.

In her case, this time of year often feels like a particularly difficult time as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, sipping loudly and nose-blowing trigger extremely uncomfortable.

"I experience this feeling of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these sounds."

She has suffered from sound sensitivity for several years and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, especially noises made by individuals.

It's surprisingly common amongst adults. A study reported almost one in five people are affected by it.

Typically it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, including examples such as chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.

A Source of Dread

She explains: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.

"My relatives are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to ensure others enjoy themselves."

So it's clear why the supposedly joyous period can rapidly become a source of agony for affected individuals.

Noises that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.

Jenna, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, says currently her plan is to put her earphones in to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize distressing triggers.

She notes her condition is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".

"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"I feel as if this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will kick in.

"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."

A Few Techniques to Cope

For those affected then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.

1. Visualise a Different Scenario: Imagination is essential. Try to associate the specific noise bothering you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
2. Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
3. Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your understanding of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.