Christmas Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.

A 23-year-old anticipates being with her loved ones over the holidays, but admits a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for Christmas dinner.

For her, this time of year is a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of people eating, sipping loudly and nose-blowing make her feel profound anxiety.

"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these noises."

Lottie has suffered from this condition from a young age and for her that causes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, especially noises produced by other people.

It is prevalent across the population. A study discovered a significant portion of people suffer from it.

Often it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.

'Anxiety Inducing'

Lottie says: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it.

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

So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy season can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.

Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.

She, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says her strategy is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to avoid distressing triggers.

She says her condition is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".

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

"It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then panic 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

If you suffer then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by specialists.

1. Visualise a Different Scenario: Imagination is crucial. Attempt to link the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
2. Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your understanding of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.