Christmas Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.

Lottie is looking forward to being with her relatives this Christmas, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner.

In her case, the holidays can be a especially challenging period as the noises of family members munching, drinking noisily and nose-blowing cause her intense distress.

"There's this feeling of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tighten and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these triggers."

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

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises coming from other people.

The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study found almost one in five people suffer from it.

Typically it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

A Source of Dread

The sufferer notes: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it.

"My family are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure the event goes smoothly."

So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.

Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.

She, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would frequently go in a different room to avoid triggering sounds.

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

"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining.

"I feel as if this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then the stress response will take over.

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

Several Strategies to Handle It

If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.

1. Picture a Different Scenario: Imagination is key. Try to associate the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. 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 competition with the culprit. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, 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 creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your reaction of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.