Christmas Can Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.

Lottie is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her hearing protection - especially during the holiday meal.

For the 23-year-old, the holidays is a especially challenging period as the auditory triggers of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling cause her intense distress.

"I get this sensation of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these triggers."

She has experienced this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, particularly those produced by individuals.

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

Often it's sounds associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

'Anxiety Inducing'

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

"My family are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure everyone else is happy."

So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous season can transform into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.

Noises that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.

Jenna, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says her strategy is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would frequently go in a separate space to avoid problematic noises.

She explains her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".

"There is pressure to be around loved ones, 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 burst into tears and then panic will activate.

"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."

Three Ways to Manage

If you suffer then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from experts.

1. Imagine a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Attempt to link the specific noise bothering you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.