The Holiday Season Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.

One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones during the festive period, but notes a key strategy she'll endure is by using her hearing protection - especially during the main festive feast.

In her case, this time of year is a especially challenging time as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and breathing heavily trigger extremely uncomfortable.

"I get this wave of instant dread, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."

The individual has lived with sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that causes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, particularly those made by other people.

It's surprisingly common in the UK. Experts found almost one in five people experience it.

Often it's noises connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.

'Anxiety Inducing'

Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it.

"My family are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to ensure everyone else is happy."

So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous season can transform into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.

Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can cause a visceral feeling that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.

She, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.

She explains her misophonia is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".

"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"The sensation is 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 take over.

"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."

A Few Techniques to Manage

If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists.

1. Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Work on connecting the triggering sound bothering you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
2. Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.