The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.

One young woman anticipates seeing her loved ones during the festive period, but admits a key strategy she'll endure is by using her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the holiday meal.

For the 23-year-old, this time of year can be a notably tough period as the sounds of family members munching, sipping loudly and nose-blowing cause her intense distress.

"I experience this wave of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these sounds."

The individual has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that makes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, notably sounds made by individuals.

The condition is widespread in the UK. Researchers reported almost one in five people suffer from it.

Frequently it's noises connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.

A Source of Dread

The sufferer notes: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it.

"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly."

So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can transform into a living nightmare for those with the condition.

Noises that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.

Jenna, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, explains currently her plan is to use headphones to manage the meal. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds.

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

"There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.

"It's like this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then the stress response will take over.

"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."

A Few Techniques to Manage

If you suffer then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by experts.

1. Visualise a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is key. Attempt to link the triggering sound causing distress with an unrelated image. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
2. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to invent a reason 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 re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.