Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.

Lottie hopes for seeing her loved ones during the festive period, but notes a primary method she'll endure is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - especially during Christmas dinner.

For her, this time of year often feels like a particularly difficult period as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and breathing heavily cause her intense distress.

"I get this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these noises."

She has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that renders the Christmas time "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, particularly those made by other people.

The condition is widespread across the population. Researchers reported a significant portion of people are affected by it.

Frequently it's sounds linked to bodily functions that cause distress, as well as things like chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

'Anxiety Inducing'

The sufferer notes: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.

"My family are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. 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 period can transform into a source of agony for affected individuals.

Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.

She, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, says her strategy is to listen to music to cope. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to avoid problematic noises.

She explains her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult".

"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I want to, but it's draining.

"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will take over.

"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."

A Few Techniques to Cope

If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, according to experts.

1. Imagine an Alternative: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the particular sound bothering you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
2. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
3. Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.