The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.

A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her loved ones over the holidays, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at the main festive feast.

For her, Christmas is a especially challenging season as the auditory triggers of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety.

"I get this feeling of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these triggers."

Lottie has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that causes the holiday period "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, especially noises made by those around you.

It is prevalent across the population. Researchers discovered almost one in five people suffer from it.

Often it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, including examples such as chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.

'Anxiety Inducing'

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

"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to guarantee everyone else is happy."

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

Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can provoke a visceral feeling that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.

The student, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to escape triggering sounds.

She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".

"People assume you to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.

"The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then panic will take over.

"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."

Several Strategies to Cope

For those affected then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.

1. Imagine Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Attempt to link the particular sound bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Craft a Story: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your reaction of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.