Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.

One young woman anticipates spending time with her loved ones this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at Christmas dinner.

In her case, Christmas is a notably tough time as the noises of family members munching, slurping and sniffling trigger extremely uncomfortable.

"I experience this wave of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to manage these sounds."

The individual has suffered from sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that causes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, particularly those coming from individuals.

It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts found almost one in five people suffer from it.

Frequently it's sounds associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.

A Source of Dread

She explains: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.

"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy."

So it's clear why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a source of agony for those with the condition.

Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.

Jenna, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, explains her strategy is to use headphones to get through dinner. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to minimize distressing triggers.

She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".

"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will kick in.

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

Several Strategies to Cope

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

1. Visualise a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is essential. Work on connecting the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
3. Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.