Christmas Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.

One young woman hopes for being with her relatives during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at Christmas dinner.

For the 23-year-old, the holidays is a notably tough period as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and nose-blowing cause her intense distress.

"I get this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to manage these sounds."

The individual has lived with this condition for several years and for her that renders the Christmas time "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, especially noises made by those around you.

It's surprisingly common across the population. Experts reported a significant portion of people experience it.

Often it's noises connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

A Source of Dread

Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.

"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure the event goes smoothly."

So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy period can transform into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.

Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can trigger a powerful reaction that can even result in them skipping events entirely.

Jenna, a university student, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, says currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to avoid triggering sounds.

She says her condition is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult".

"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"It's like this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will take over.

"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."

Several Strategies to Handle It

If you suffer then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from experts.

1. Imagine an Alternative: Imagination is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
2. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the game aspect 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 doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.