The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.

One young woman anticipates seeing her relatives this Christmas, but notes a primary method she'll cope is by using her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the holiday meal.

For the 23-year-old, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging period as the sounds of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily make her feel profound anxiety.

"I get this feeling of sudden panic, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these triggers."

She has lived with misophonia since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from individuals.

It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers found almost one in five people experience it.

Typically it's noises connected to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, along with things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.

Triggering Stress

The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.

"My family are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly."

So it's clear why the supposedly joyous season can transform into a living nightmare for sufferers.

Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can provoke a visceral feeling that can even cause them skipping events entirely.

Jenna, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would frequently go in a separate space to minimize distressing triggers.

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

"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.

"I feel as if this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will take over.

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

Three Ways to Manage

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

1. Visualise a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is key. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal 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 competition involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.