Yuletide Can Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.

One young woman anticipates being with her family over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her hearing protection - especially during the main festive feast.

In her case, the holidays is a especially challenging period as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, sipping loudly and breathing heavily trigger extremely uncomfortable.

"There's this sensation of sudden panic, my entire being will just tighten and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these triggers."

She has suffered from misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, particularly those produced by individuals.

It is prevalent amongst adults. Researchers reported nearly 20% people suffer from it.

Often it's sounds connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including examples such as crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.

'Anxiety Inducing'

She explains: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.

"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to make sure everyone else is happy."

So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.

Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.

The student, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, says her strategy is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would often retreat in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds.

She notes her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".

"People assume you to be around family, and I desire to, but it's draining.

"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, 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 melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."

A Few Techniques to Handle It

If you suffer then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, according to experts.

1. Picture Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Attempt to link the triggering sound causing distress with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
2. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
3. Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or are troubled. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.