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

One young woman anticipates being with her family over the holidays, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal.

For the 23-year-old, Christmas can be a especially challenging time as the sounds of family members munching, sipping loudly and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety.

"I experience this feeling of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tense up and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these noises."

Lottie has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that causes the holiday period "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds made by other people.

The condition is widespread in the UK. A study reported almost one in five people are affected by it.

Typically it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.

'Anxiety Inducing'

Lottie says: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it.

"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to make sure the event goes smoothly."

So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous season can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for sufferers.

Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a strong emotional response that can even result in them skipping events entirely.

Jenna, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, says her strategy is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to avoid problematic noises.

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

"There is pressure to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"I feel as if this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will activate.

"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."

A Few Techniques to Handle It

If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.

1. Imagine an Alternative: Imagination is key. Work on connecting the triggering sound affecting you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
2. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.