Christmas Transforms Into a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.

Lottie hopes for spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by wearing her earplugs - especially during Christmas dinner.

For the 23-year-old, the holidays is a especially challenging time as the sounds of other people chewing, sipping loudly and nose-blowing cause her intense distress.

"There's this feeling of instant dread, my entire being will just freeze and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to stop these sounds."

She has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that causes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises coming from those around you.

It's surprisingly common across the population. A study reported a significant portion of people are affected by it.

Frequently it's noises linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, as well as things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.

'Anxiety Inducing'

She explains: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.

"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to guarantee others enjoy themselves."

So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a living nightmare for affected individuals.

Noises that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even result in them skipping events entirely.

Jenna, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says her strategy is to use headphones to cope. Usually, she would often retreat in a separate space to minimize problematic noises.

She says her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "difficult".

"People assume you to socialize with family, and I wish to, but it's draining.

"I feel as if this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, 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 oversensitive and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."

Several Strategies to Manage

For those affected then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from specialists.

1. Picture a Different Scenario: Imagination is crucial. Attempt to link the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
3. Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or could be emotional. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.