Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.

One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll endure is by using her hearing protection - particularly at the main festive feast.

For her, Christmas can be a notably tough time as the sounds of people eating, slurping and sniffling cause her profound anxiety.

"I get this wave of instant dread, my entire being will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these triggers."

She has lived with this condition from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, particularly those coming from other people.

It is prevalent in the UK. A study reported nearly 20% people are affected by it.

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

A Source of Dread

She explains: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it.

"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee others enjoy themselves."

So it's obvious why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.

Noises that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can trigger a visceral feeling that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.

The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, explains her strategy is to use headphones to cope. On any other day, she would frequently go in a separate space to escape triggering sounds.

She says her condition is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".

"There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's draining.

"I feel as if this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then panic will kick in.

"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."

Three Ways to Cope

If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.

1. Visualise Something Else: Imagination is essential. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
3. Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or could be emotional. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.