Christmas Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.

A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her family over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll endure is by using her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.

For the 23-year-old, the holidays is a particularly difficult period as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and breathing heavily make her feel extremely uncomfortable.

"I experience this feeling of instant dread, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."

Lottie has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that makes the festive season "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, especially noises made by those around you.

It is prevalent amongst adults. Researchers reported a significant portion of people suffer from it.

Typically it's noises associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, along with things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.

Triggering Stress

The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.

"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee others enjoy themselves."

So it's clear why the traditionally happy season can transform into a living nightmare for those with the condition.

Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.

The student, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states currently her plan is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid problematic noises.

She says her condition is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".

"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.

"I feel as if this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will kick in.

"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."

A Few Techniques to Manage

For those affected then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from experts.

1. Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise causing distress with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
2. Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not in good health or are troubled. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.