The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.

One young woman hopes for spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but admits a primary method she'll endure is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.

For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult season as the sounds of other people chewing, drinking noisily and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety.

"I experience this feeling of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."

Lottie has experienced sound sensitivity for several years and for her that makes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, particularly those produced by individuals.

The condition is widespread in the UK. A study found almost one in five people suffer from it.

Typically it's noises linked to bodily functions that cause distress, including examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.

Triggering Stress

The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting 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 managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy."

So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy period can transform into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.

Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can cause a strong emotional response that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.

Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.

She says her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".

"People assume you to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then panic will activate.

"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."

Three Ways to Cope

For those affected then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists.

1. Picture a Different Scenario: Imagination is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
2. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your understanding of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.