The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.

A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her loved ones during the festive period, but admits a primary method she'll endure is by wearing her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast.

For her, this time of year is a especially challenging period as the sounds of family members munching, drinking noisily and nose-blowing make her feel profound anxiety.

"I experience this feeling of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tighten and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these sounds."

Lottie has lived with this condition for several years and for her that makes the holiday period "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises produced by those around you.

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

Often it's noises connected to bodily functions that cause distress, as well as examples such as crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

Triggering Stress

The sufferer notes: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.

"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure the event goes smoothly."

So it's clear why the most wonderful time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for affected individuals.

Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can provoke a powerful reaction that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.

The student, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to manage the meal. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to minimize distressing triggers.

She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".

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

"The sensation is this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then the stress response will kick in.

"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."

Three Ways to Handle It

If you suffer then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from experts.

1. Picture Something Else: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the specific noise causing distress with a neutral concept. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
2. Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not in good health or could be emotional. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your understanding of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.