Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.

Lottie hopes for being with her family during the festive period, but notes a primary method she'll endure is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at the main festive feast.

For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a especially challenging period as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and nose-blowing trigger profound anxiety.

"There's this feeling of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to manage these triggers."

She has lived with sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that makes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, notably sounds produced by other people.

It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers found a significant portion of people are affected by it.

Often it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.

Triggering Stress

The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.

"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy."

So it's clear why the supposedly joyous season can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for sufferers.

Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.

She, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, states currently her plan is to listen to music to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.

She notes her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "difficult".

"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining.

"The sensation is this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over.

"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."

A Few Techniques to Cope

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

1. Picture Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Attempt to link the specific noise bothering you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
2. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help redirect your focus 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 creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or are troubled. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise remains identical, your reaction of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.