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

A 23-year-old anticipates spending time with her relatives this Christmas, but says a primary method she'll endure is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the main festive feast.

For her, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging time as the noises of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel profound anxiety.

"I get this sensation of instant dread, my every muscle will just tense up and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these noises."

She has lived with this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those made by those around you.

It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers found nearly 20% people suffer from it.

Frequently it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.

Triggering Stress

Lottie says: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.

"My family are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to make sure the event goes smoothly."

So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.

Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a strong emotional response that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.

The student, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, states currently her plan is to use headphones to get through dinner. On any other day, she would often retreat in a separate space to avoid distressing triggers.

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

"There's an expectation to be around family, and I want to, but it's draining.

"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then the stress response will activate.

"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."

Three Ways to Manage

If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.

1. Visualise a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Attempt to link the triggering sound causing distress with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
2. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or are troubled. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.