The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.

Lottie hopes for being with her relatives this Christmas, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at Christmas dinner.

In her case, this time of year can be a notably tough time as the sounds of family members munching, drinking noisily and sniffling make her feel profound anxiety.

"I get this sensation of sudden panic, my entire being will just tense up and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these triggers."

Lottie has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that makes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, particularly those produced by other people.

It is prevalent across the population. Experts found almost one in five people are affected by it.

Typically it's noises associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

Triggering Stress

She explains: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread 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 constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee others enjoy themselves."

So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy time of the year can transform into a living nightmare for sufferers.

Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.

The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, says her strategy is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to minimize problematic noises.

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

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

"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, 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 oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."

A Few Techniques to Cope

If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to experts.

1. Imagine Something Else: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your reaction of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.