One young woman anticipates seeing her loved ones during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas is a notably tough period as the noises of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel profound anxiety.
"There's this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds."
She has experienced this condition for several years and for her that renders the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, especially noises made by other people.
The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people suffer from it.
Typically it's noises associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, along with things like crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can rapidly become a living nightmare for sufferers.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, states the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to manage the meal. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to minimize problematic noises.
She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".
"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.
"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."
For those affected then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, according to experts.
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