Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.

A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her loved ones over the holidays, but says a primary method she'll endure is by wearing her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast.

For the 23-year-old, this time of year often feels like a particularly difficult season as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and breathing heavily make her feel intense distress.

"There's this sensation of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just freeze and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these triggers."

Lottie has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that causes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds produced by other people.

It is prevalent amongst adults. Experts reported almost one in five people suffer from it.

Often it's noises associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, along with things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

Triggering Stress

Lottie says: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.

"My relatives are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves."

So it's clear why the most wonderful season can transform into a living nightmare for affected individuals.

Noises that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.

Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, states the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds.

She explains her condition is worse around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".

"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over.

"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."

Three Ways to Handle It

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

1. Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Try to associate the particular sound bothering you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
2. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
3. Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.