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

A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her loved ones during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her earplugs - notably for the holiday meal.

In her case, the holidays is a particularly difficult time as the sounds of other people chewing, drinking noisily and breathing heavily make her feel extremely uncomfortable.

"I get this feeling of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to stop these triggers."

Lottie has experienced misophonia since she was 16 and for her that causes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by those around you.

It is prevalent in the UK. Experts reported a significant portion of people suffer from it.

Frequently it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.

A Source of Dread

Lottie says: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.

"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to ensure everyone else is happy."

So it's obvious why the traditionally happy time of the year can transform into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.

Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.

The student, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, says her strategy is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Usually, she would often retreat in a separate space to minimize problematic noises.

She explains her condition is worse around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".

"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"I feel as if this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will kick in.

"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."

Three Ways to Cope

If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.

1. Visualise Something Else: Imagination is crucial. Try to associate the triggering sound causing distress with something completely different. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
3. Create a Scenario: Another technique 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 maybe they're upset. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.