Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.

Lottie hopes for seeing her relatives during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal.

For the 23-year-old, this time of year often feels like a especially challenging period as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and breathing heavily cause her intense distress.

"I experience this sensation of sudden panic, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."

She has suffered from sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises coming from individuals.

It's surprisingly common amongst adults. A study discovered almost one in five people experience it.

Frequently it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, as well as examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.

Triggering Stress

Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.

"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to guarantee others enjoy themselves."

So it's clear why the traditionally happy season can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.

Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.

Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains currently her plan is to listen to music to manage the meal. Usually, she would often retreat in a separate space to escape distressing triggers.

She notes her condition is more intense around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "difficult".

"People assume you to be around family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.

"I feel as if this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then the stress response will activate.

"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."

A Few Techniques to Handle It

If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from experts.

1. Imagine an Alternative: Imagination is key. Work on connecting the triggering sound affecting you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
2. Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. By joining in, rather than 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 create a little story about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your reaction of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.