The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.

Lottie anticipates being with her family during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.

In her case, Christmas often feels like a notably tough period as the sounds of family members munching, slurping and sniffling trigger extremely uncomfortable.

"I experience this wave of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tighten and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these triggers."

She has lived with misophonia since she was 16 and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises produced by other people.

It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts found almost one in five people experience it.

Typically it's sounds linked to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as things like crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.

A Source of Dread

The sufferer notes: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.

"My family are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly."

So it's clear why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a living nightmare for sufferers.

Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a visceral feeling that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.

She, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers.

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

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

"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will activate.

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

A Few Techniques to Cope

If you suffer then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists.

1. Imagine an Alternative: Imagination is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
2. Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Craft a Story: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your understanding of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.