The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.

Lottie anticipates being with her family over the holidays, but says a primary method she'll endure is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the main festive feast.

For the 23-year-old, this time of year is a particularly difficult time as the auditory triggers of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling cause her intense distress.

"I get this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tighten and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to manage these noises."

Lottie has experienced this condition for several years and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, especially noises coming from individuals.

It is prevalent amongst adults. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people are affected by it.

Often it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, including things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.

A Source of Dread

She explains: "I face so many different triggering sounds 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 upset others. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to ensure everyone else is happy."

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

Noises that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a powerful reaction that can even result in them skipping events entirely.

The student, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, explains the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to cope. Typically, she would often retreat in a different room to avoid distressing triggers.

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

"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.

"The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then the stress response will kick in.

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

A Few Techniques to Handle It

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

1. Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral.
2. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your reaction of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.