The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.

Lottie is looking forward to seeing her loved ones over the holidays, but notes a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the holiday meal.

For the 23-year-old, Christmas often feels like a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and breathing heavily cause her extremely uncomfortable.

"There's this feeling of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these triggers."

The individual has lived with misophonia since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, especially noises coming from those around you.

The condition is widespread amongst adults. Experts reported almost one in five people are affected by it.

Often it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.

A Source of Dread

Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.

"My family are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure the event goes smoothly."

So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers.

Noises that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.

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 manage the meal. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize triggering sounds.

She says her condition is more intense around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".

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

"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then the stress response will activate.

"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."

Three Ways to Handle It

If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by specialists.

1. Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound bothering you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral.
2. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or could be emotional. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.