Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.

A 23-year-old anticipates seeing her family over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the holiday meal.

In her case, Christmas is a particularly difficult season as the sounds of people eating, drinking noisily and nose-blowing cause her intense distress.

"I experience this feeling of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to manage these noises."

Lottie has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that makes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises coming from those around you.

The condition is widespread across the population. A study found almost one in five people are affected by it.

Often it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

Triggering Stress

Lottie says: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.

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

So it's obvious why the most wonderful period can transform into a living nightmare for sufferers.

Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, 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 struggled with misophonia from childhood, states her strategy is to use headphones to cope. Typically, she would frequently go in a different room to avoid distressing triggers.

She notes her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".

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

"I feel as if this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will take over.

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

A Few Techniques to Handle It

If you suffer then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, according to experts.

1. Picture Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Work on connecting the triggering sound bothering you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
2. Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or could be emotional. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.