Christmas Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.

A 23-year-old is looking forward to seeing her loved ones over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by using her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the holiday meal.

For the 23-year-old, Christmas can be a especially challenging season as the noises of people eating, sipping loudly and breathing heavily trigger intense distress.

"I get this sensation of sudden panic, my whole body will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to manage these noises."

She has lived with sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that causes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".

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

It's surprisingly common in the UK. A study found almost one in five people are affected by it.

Often it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

Triggering Stress

Lottie says: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.

"My family are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to guarantee everyone else is happy."

So it's clear why the supposedly joyous period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.

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

Jenna, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a separate space to avoid problematic noises.

She notes her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".

"There is pressure to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's draining.

"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will kick in.

"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."

Three Ways to Handle It

If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.

1. Imagine a Different Scenario: Imagination is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
2. Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.