The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.

A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner.

For her, the holidays often feels like a notably tough season as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and breathing heavily cause her intense distress.

"I get this feeling of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these sounds."

The individual has suffered from misophonia for several years and for her that makes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, particularly those coming from other people.

The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study found a significant portion of people are affected by it.

Frequently it's noises associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including examples such as crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.

A Source of Dread

The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.

"My family are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure everyone else is happy."

So it's obvious why the most wonderful time of the year can transform into a living nightmare for those with the condition.

Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.

The student, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says her strategy is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Usually, she would often retreat in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds.

She explains her misophonia is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".

"There's an expectation to be around family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"The sensation is this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then the stress response will take over.

"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."

Several Strategies to Cope

If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, according to clinical psychologists.

1. Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the triggering sound bothering you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
3. Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.