The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.

One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her relatives this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the main festive feast.

In her case, this time of year is a particularly difficult time as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, sipping loudly and nose-blowing make her feel profound anxiety.

"There's this wave of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these triggers."

The individual has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises produced by other people.

It is prevalent across the population. A study discovered almost one in five people are affected by it.

Frequently it's noises associated with bodily functions that cause distress, as well as examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

Triggering Stress

The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas 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 spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy."

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

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

Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, states the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to manage the meal. On any other day, she would frequently go in a separate space to minimize distressing triggers.

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

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

"It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then the stress response will activate.

"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."

Three Ways to Manage

If you suffer then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from specialists.

1. Picture Something Else: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral.
2. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
3. Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.