Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.

A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her family during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.

For the 23-year-old, Christmas can be a especially challenging time as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and sniffling trigger extremely uncomfortable.

"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds."

She has experienced this condition for several years and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, particularly those produced by individuals.

The condition is widespread across the population. Researchers reported nearly 20% people suffer from it.

Typically it's sounds associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.

Triggering Stress

Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.

"My relatives are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to make sure everyone else is happy."

So it's clear why the most wonderful season can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.

Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.

Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to get through dinner. On any other day, she would often retreat in a quiet area to escape problematic noises.

She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".

"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"I feel as if this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will activate.

"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."

A Few Techniques to Handle It

If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.

1. Visualise an Alternative: Imagination is crucial. Work on connecting the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
2. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.