Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.

Lottie is looking forward to seeing her loved ones during the festive period, but admits a primary method she'll endure is by using her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.

For the 23-year-old, this time of year often feels like a notably tough period as the sounds of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily make her feel profound anxiety.

"I get this feeling of sudden panic, my every muscle will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these sounds."

The individual has lived with 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 those around you.

It is prevalent across the population. Researchers found a significant portion of people suffer from it.

Typically it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.

'Anxiety Inducing'

She explains: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.

"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy."

So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.

Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.

The student, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, explains currently her plan is to listen to music to get through dinner. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to avoid problematic noises.

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

"There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.

"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then the stress response will activate.

"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."

Three Ways to Manage

If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from specialists.

1. Picture Something Else: Imagination is crucial. Try to associate the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.