Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.

One young woman hopes for spending time with her loved ones this Christmas, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the main festive feast.

For her, Christmas is a especially challenging period as the sounds of other people chewing, sipping loudly and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable.

"I experience this wave of instant dread, my entire being will just tighten and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these triggers."

Lottie has experienced sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, notably sounds made by individuals.

The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers reported a significant portion of people are affected by it.

Frequently it's noises connected to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.

Triggering Stress

Lottie says: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting 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 ensure everyone else is happy."

So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy time of the year can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.

Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them skipping events entirely.

She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, states the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid problematic noises.

She says her misophonia is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult".

"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"It's like this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate.

"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."

Several Strategies to Cope

For those affected then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by specialists.

1. Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is crucial. Try to associate the specific noise affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
2. Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise remains identical, your reaction of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.