The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.

One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at the main festive feast.

For her, this time of year is a especially challenging time as the noises of people eating, drinking noisily and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety.

"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these sounds."

The individual has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those produced by other people.

It is prevalent across the population. Researchers found almost one in five people are affected by it.

Frequently it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.

'Anxiety Inducing'

She explains: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.

"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to ensure the event goes smoothly."

So it's clear why the supposedly joyous period can rapidly become a living nightmare for sufferers.

Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even cause them skipping events entirely.

The student, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, states her strategy is to put her earphones in to cope. On any other day, she would often retreat in a separate space to avoid triggering sounds.

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

"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"It's like this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel shameful, 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 difficult and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."

A Few Techniques to Manage

For those affected 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 essential. Attempt to link the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or could be emotional. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your understanding of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.