Christmas Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.

One young woman anticipates spending time with her family this Christmas, but notes one of the only ways she'll endure is by using her hearing protection - especially during the main festive feast.

In her case, Christmas often feels like a particularly difficult period as the auditory triggers of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable.

"I experience this feeling of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to stop these sounds."

The individual has suffered from this condition for several years and for her that causes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, particularly those produced by those around you.

The condition is widespread across the population. Experts reported nearly 20% people are affected by it.

Frequently it's noises linked to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, along with things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.

Triggering Stress

Lottie says: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.

"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee everyone else is happy."

So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous season can rapidly become a living nightmare for those with the condition.

Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can cause a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.

Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, explains her strategy is to use headphones to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to escape triggering sounds.

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

"There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.

"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then the stress response will take over.

"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."

Several Strategies to Manage

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

1. Picture Something Else: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the specific noise affecting you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
2. Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or maybe they're upset. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your reaction of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.