Christmas Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.

Lottie anticipates seeing her loved ones over the holidays, but says a primary method she'll cope is by using her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal.

In her case, Christmas is a notably tough time as the sounds of people eating, slurping and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.

"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my whole body will just tighten and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to manage these noises."

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

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, particularly those coming from other people.

It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers discovered almost one in five people experience it.

Often it's noises connected to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, along with things like crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.

'Anxiety Inducing'

She explains: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.

"My family are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to guarantee others enjoy themselves."

So it's obvious why the most wonderful time of the year can transform into a source of agony for those with the condition.

Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.

Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, explains her strategy is to use headphones to cope. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to minimize problematic noises.

She says her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".

"There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will take over.

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

Three Ways to Manage

If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, according to experts.

1. Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise causing distress with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.