Christmas Transforms Into a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.

One young woman hopes for seeing her family this Christmas, but notes a primary method she'll endure is by wearing her hearing protection - especially during Christmas dinner.

For her, the holidays can be a notably tough time as the noises of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing trigger profound anxiety.

"I get this wave of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these sounds."

The individual has experienced this condition for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises produced by other people.

The condition is widespread across the population. Researchers discovered a significant portion of people experience it.

Frequently it's noises associated with eating or drinking that cause distress, along with things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.

'Anxiety Inducing'

The sufferer notes: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it.

"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure others enjoy themselves."

So it's clear why the most wonderful time of the year can transform into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.

Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can cause a strong emotional response that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.

She, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says her strategy is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize triggering sounds.

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

"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I want 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 burst into tears and then the stress response will take over.

"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."

A Few Techniques to Handle It

For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from experts.

1. Visualise an Alternative: Imagination is key. Attempt to link the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
2. Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of 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. Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.