Yuletide Transforms Into a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.

One young woman anticipates spending time with her family this Christmas, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.

For the 23-year-old, this time of year can be a notably tough time as the sounds of people eating, drinking noisily and breathing heavily trigger extremely uncomfortable.

"There's this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to manage these noises."

The individual has experienced this condition since she was 16 and for her that renders the festive season "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, particularly those produced by other people.

It is prevalent across the population. Experts found nearly 20% people suffer from it.

Typically it's sounds linked to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

'Anxiety Inducing'

The sufferer notes: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.

"My family are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to ensure the event goes smoothly."

So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.

Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a visceral feeling that can even result in them skipping events entirely.

Jenna, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, states the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to manage the meal. On any other day, she would often retreat in a quiet area to escape problematic noises.

She explains her condition is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".

"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"The sensation is this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.

"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."

Several Strategies to Cope

If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.

1. Imagine an Alternative: Creative thinking is essential. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
2. Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
3. Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or could be emotional. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.