Christmas Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.

One young woman hopes for being with her relatives this Christmas, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her hearing protection - notably for Christmas dinner.

For her, Christmas can be a especially challenging time as the noises of people eating, sipping loudly and sniffling trigger extremely uncomfortable.

"I get this wave of sudden panic, my whole body will just tighten and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these triggers."

Lottie has suffered from sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that makes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, especially noises produced by other people.

It's surprisingly common in the UK. A study found nearly 20% people suffer from it.

Frequently it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.

'Anxiety Inducing'

She explains: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.

"My relatives are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to make sure the event goes smoothly."

So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous period can transform into a living nightmare for affected individuals.

Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can provoke a visceral feeling that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.

She, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, says her strategy is to use headphones to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to avoid problematic noises.

She notes her condition is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard".

"There is pressure to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's draining.

"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then the stress response will take over.

"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."

Three Ways to Cope

If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from experts.

1. Imagine an Alternative: Imagination is crucial. Attempt to link the triggering sound causing distress with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
2. Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
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 making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.