The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.

Lottie anticipates being with her loved ones this Christmas, but notes a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the main festive feast.

For her, the holidays is a particularly difficult season as the noises of people eating, slurping and sniffling make her feel profound anxiety.

"I get this feeling of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these sounds."

She has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that causes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, especially noises made by those around you.

It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers found nearly 20% people experience it.

Often it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, along with things like crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.

'Anxiety Inducing'

Lottie says: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you fear it.

"My family are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly."

So it's clear why the supposedly joyous season can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.

Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even cause them skipping events entirely.

She, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. On any other day, she would often retreat in a quiet area to minimize triggering sounds.

She says her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".

"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.

"It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.

"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."

Three Ways to Manage

For those affected then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from experts.

1. Visualise Something Else: Mental imagery is essential. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
2. Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
3. Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.