The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.

A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but admits a primary method she'll cope is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal.

For the 23-year-old, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging period as the noises of other people chewing, sipping loudly and sniffling cause her profound anxiety.

"I experience this feeling of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these sounds."

She has suffered from this condition since she was 16 and for her that renders the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, notably sounds made by other people.

The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study discovered almost one in five people suffer from it.

Often it's noises associated with bodily functions that cause distress, as well as things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

A Source of Dread

She explains: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.

"My family are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to ensure the event goes smoothly."

So it's clear why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.

Noises that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.

Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, says currently her plan is to listen to music to cope. On any other day, she would often retreat in a separate space to avoid distressing triggers.

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

"There is pressure to socialize with family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.

"It's like this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will take over.

"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."

Several Strategies to Cope

For those affected then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists.

1. Picture Something Else: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the particular sound causing distress with an unrelated image. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.