Christmas Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.

Lottie hopes for spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal.

For her, the holidays can be a notably tough season as the sounds of people eating, drinking noisily and nose-blowing cause her intense distress.

"I get this feeling of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to manage these noises."

The individual has suffered from sound sensitivity for several years and for her that causes the holiday period "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, particularly those made by other people.

It is prevalent in the UK. Experts discovered a significant portion of people experience it.

Typically it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that cause distress, along with things like crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

'Anxiety Inducing'

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

"My relatives are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to make sure the event goes smoothly."

So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.

Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.

She, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to get through dinner. On any other day, she would frequently go in a separate space to minimize problematic noises.

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

"There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.

"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.

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

Three Ways to Manage

If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.

1. Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is crucial. Attempt to link the particular sound causing distress with something completely different. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
2. Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
3. Craft a Story: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.