Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.

Lottie hopes for being with her loved ones over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the main festive feast.

For her, the holidays often feels like a especially challenging period as the sounds of people eating, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.

"There's this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tense up and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to stop these triggers."

The individual has suffered from sound sensitivity for several years and for her that makes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, notably sounds made by other people.

It is prevalent amongst adults. Experts discovered almost one in five people are affected by it.

Typically it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, along with things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.

'Anxiety Inducing'

The sufferer notes: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.

"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure others enjoy themselves."

So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.

Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a visceral feeling that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.

She, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Usually, she would often retreat in a separate space to escape triggering sounds.

She explains her misophonia is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".

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

"It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then panic will activate.

"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."

Three Ways to Handle It

If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by experts.

1. Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the specific noise causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
2. Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.