Christmas Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.

One young woman hopes for being with her relatives during the festive period, but admits a primary method she'll cope is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at the main festive feast.

In her case, Christmas is a particularly difficult season as the sounds of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling cause her intense distress.

"I experience this feeling of sudden panic, my whole body will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these triggers."

Lottie has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, especially noises made by those around you.

The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study discovered nearly 20% people are affected by it.

Frequently it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.

A Source of Dread

The sufferer notes: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.

"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure everyone else is happy."

So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful period can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.

Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a powerful reaction that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.

Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains her strategy is to use headphones to cope. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to escape problematic noises.

She says her misophonia is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".

"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will take over.

"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."

Three Ways to Cope

For those affected then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from experts.

1. Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to retrain your mind 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 challenge involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
3. Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.