The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.

Lottie anticipates seeing her family during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at the holiday meal.

In her case, the holidays can be a notably tough time as the sounds of family members munching, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her profound anxiety.

"I get this wave of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these triggers."

Lottie has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, particularly those coming from individuals.

It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people experience it.

Often it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, along with things like chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

Triggering Stress

She explains: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.

"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee everyone else is happy."

So it's clear why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.

Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a visceral feeling that can even cause them skipping events entirely.

The student, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds.

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

"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.

"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will kick in.

"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."

Several Strategies to Cope

For those affected then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts.

1. Picture Something Else: Imagination is crucial. Attempt to link the specific noise affecting you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
2. Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.