Christmas Can Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.

Lottie is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones during the festive period, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by using her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the main festive feast.

In her case, the holidays can be a especially challenging time as the auditory triggers of people eating, sipping loudly and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable.

"There's this feeling of sudden panic, my whole body will just tighten and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these triggers."

She has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by individuals.

It's surprisingly common across the population. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people experience it.

Frequently it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, including things like chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

A Source of Dread

Lottie says: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.

"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly."

So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful season can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.

Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can cause a visceral feeling that can even result in them skipping events entirely.

She, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, says the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to cope. Usually, she would frequently go in a different room to avoid triggering sounds.

She explains her condition is worse around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard".

"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's draining.

"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will kick in.

"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."

A Few Techniques to Cope

If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from experts.

1. Picture Something Else: Mental imagery is key. Try to associate the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
2. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.