Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.

A 23-year-old anticipates spending time with her loved ones during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll endure is by wearing her earplugs - especially during Christmas dinner.

For her, the holidays can be a especially challenging period as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety.

"I experience this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tighten and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."

The individual has experienced sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises coming from individuals.

It's surprisingly common across the population. Researchers reported a significant portion of people are affected by it.

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

'Anxiety Inducing'

Lottie says: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.

"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to guarantee everyone else is happy."

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

Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them skipping events entirely.

Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a different room to escape distressing triggers.

She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard".

"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I wish to, but it's draining.

"I feel as if this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will kick in.

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

Several Strategies to Manage

For those affected then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from specialists.

1. Visualise a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking 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 game with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Craft a Story: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.