Christmas Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.

A 23-year-old anticipates spending time with her family during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by wearing her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal.

For her, the holidays can be a particularly difficult period as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling make her feel extremely uncomfortable.

"I get this feeling of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."

She has suffered from this condition for several years and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, notably sounds made by other people.

It is prevalent amongst adults. Researchers found nearly 20% people suffer from it.

Frequently it's sounds linked to bodily functions that cause distress, including things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

A Source of Dread

She explains: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread it.

"My relatives are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to ensure others enjoy themselves."

So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can transform into a source of agony for those with the condition.

Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even cause them skipping events entirely.

Jenna, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to cope. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to escape distressing triggers.

She says her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "difficult".

"There is pressure to be around family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.

"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then the stress response will activate.

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

A Few Techniques to Manage

If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from experts.

1. Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is crucial. Attempt to link the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to retrain your mind 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 with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.