Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.

Lottie is looking forward to being with her family this Christmas, but admits a key strategy she'll endure is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the main festive feast.

In her case, this time of year is a particularly difficult season as the sounds of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.

"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these triggers."

She has experienced this condition for several years and for her that renders the Christmas time "deeply taxing".

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

The condition is widespread in the UK. Researchers discovered almost one in five people are affected by it.

Frequently it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

Triggering Stress

Lottie says: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.

"My family are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves."

So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can transform into a source of agony for sufferers.

Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can cause a visceral feeling that can even result in them skipping events entirely.

The student, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, says currently her plan is to use headphones to cope. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers.

She notes her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard".

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

"It's like this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will kick in.

"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."

Several Strategies to Handle It

If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to clinical psychologists.

1. Picture Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
2. Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
3. Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.