The Holiday Season Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.

One young woman hopes for spending time with her relatives this Christmas, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by using her hearing protection - especially during Christmas dinner.

For her, this time of year is a notably tough season as the sounds of family members munching, sipping loudly and nose-blowing trigger intense distress.

"I experience this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just tense up and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these triggers."

She has lived with this condition from a young age and for her that makes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, especially noises coming from individuals.

The condition is widespread across the population. Researchers reported almost one in five people experience it.

Typically it's noises connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.

A Source of Dread

She explains: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.

"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to guarantee others enjoy themselves."

So it's clear why the most wonderful period can transform into a living nightmare for sufferers.

Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.

The student, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, explains currently her plan is to use headphones to cope. On any other day, she would frequently go in a different room to escape distressing triggers.

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

"People assume you to be around family, and I wish to, but it's draining.

"I feel as if this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will take over.

"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."

A Few Techniques to Manage

For those affected then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from experts.

1. Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with an unrelated image. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
2. Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.