Yuletide Transforms Into a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.

Lottie hopes for spending time with her loved ones during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal.

For her, the holidays is a particularly difficult period as the auditory triggers of people eating, sipping loudly and nose-blowing cause her intense distress.

"I get this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just freeze and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to stop these triggers."

She has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by individuals.

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

Often it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.

Triggering Stress

Lottie says: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.

"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to ensure the event goes smoothly."

So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can rapidly become a living nightmare for those with the condition.

Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a powerful reaction that can even cause them skipping events entirely.

She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, states her strategy is to use headphones to get through dinner. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to escape problematic noises.

She explains her condition is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".

"There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"It's like this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then panic will activate.

"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."

Several Strategies to Cope

If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by experts.

1. Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the particular sound bothering you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
2. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your understanding of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.