Christmas Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.

One young woman anticipates being with her loved ones this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll cope is by wearing her earplugs - notably for the main festive feast.

In her case, this time of year is a particularly difficult season as the sounds of other people chewing, sipping loudly and breathing heavily cause her intense distress.

"I experience this sensation of instant dread, my every muscle will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds."

The individual has suffered from sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that makes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, particularly those made by those around you.

It is prevalent amongst adults. Experts discovered nearly 20% people are affected by it.

Frequently it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.

'Anxiety Inducing'

Lottie says: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.

"My family are aware, 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 ensure others enjoy themselves."

So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can transform into a source of agony for affected individuals.

Noises that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can provoke a powerful reaction that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.

Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, explains currently her plan is to use headphones to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to avoid problematic noises.

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

"There is pressure to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.

"It's like this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will kick in.

"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."

Several Strategies to Manage

If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from specialists.

1. Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
2. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
3. Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.