Christmas Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.

Lottie is looking forward to seeing her loved ones during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll endure is by wearing her earplugs - notably for the main festive feast.

In her case, the holidays can be a especially challenging season as the noises of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily trigger extremely uncomfortable.

"I get this wave of instant dread, my whole body will just tighten and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these sounds."

Lottie has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds produced by those around you.

The condition is widespread across the population. Researchers reported a significant portion of people experience it.

Often it's noises linked to eating or drinking that cause distress, along with things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.

'Anxiety Inducing'

The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.

"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to make sure others enjoy themselves."

So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.

Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them skipping events entirely.

Jenna, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains her strategy is to use headphones to cope. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to avoid distressing triggers.

She says her condition is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".

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

"It's like this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will activate.

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

Three Ways to Handle It

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

1. Imagine a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the specific noise causing distress with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
2. Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Craft a Story: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your reaction of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.