The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.

A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her loved ones during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by using her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.

For her, Christmas is a especially challenging season as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety.

"I get this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."

She has suffered from sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by those around you.

The condition is widespread across the population. A study reported a significant portion of people suffer from it.

Typically it's sounds associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, along with things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.

'Anxiety Inducing'

The sufferer notes: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.

"My family are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy."

So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful period can transform into a living nightmare for affected individuals.

Noises that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them skipping events entirely.

The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to avoid triggering sounds.

She explains her condition is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".

"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"The sensation is this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then the stress response will kick in.

"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."

A Few Techniques to Cope

For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, according to clinical psychologists.

1. Imagine Something Else: Imagination is key. Attempt to link the particular sound causing distress with something completely different. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or maybe they're upset. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your understanding of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.