Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.

Lottie is looking forward to spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her hearing protection - notably for Christmas dinner.

In her case, Christmas can be a particularly difficult period as the sounds of other people chewing, drinking noisily and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable.

"I get this sensation of instant dread, my whole body will just tighten and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these triggers."

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

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds produced by those around you.

It is prevalent amongst adults. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people experience it.

Typically it's sounds associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.

'Anxiety Inducing'

The sufferer notes: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.

"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure others enjoy themselves."

So it's clear why the supposedly joyous period can rapidly become a source of agony for those with the condition.

Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a powerful reaction that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.

She, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Typically, she would often retreat in a different room to avoid distressing triggers.

She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard".

"There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will activate.

"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."

Several Strategies to Cope

If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from specialists.

1. Picture a Different Scenario: Imagination is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound causing distress with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
3. Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your understanding of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.