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

One young woman is looking forward to being with her loved ones this Christmas, but says one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the main festive feast.

For the 23-year-old, Christmas is a especially challenging season as the noises of family members munching, drinking noisily and sniffling make her feel profound anxiety.

"There's this wave of sudden panic, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds."

She has lived with this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds coming from those around you.

The condition is widespread amongst adults. Experts found nearly 20% people are affected by it.

Frequently it's sounds associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.

A Source of Dread

She explains: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.

"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure others enjoy themselves."

So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous season can transform into a living nightmare for affected individuals.

Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a strong emotional response that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.

The student, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, states currently her plan is to listen to music to manage the meal. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.

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

"There is pressure to be around family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.

"I feel as if this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then the stress response will activate.

"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."

Three Ways to Manage

If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, according to clinical psychologists.

1. Picture Something Else: Imagination is essential. Attempt to link the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
2. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
3. Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or could be emotional. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.