Christmas Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.

Lottie hopes for being with her relatives this Christmas, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal.

For the 23-year-old, the holidays is a particularly difficult period as the auditory triggers of family members munching, slurping and nose-blowing trigger intense distress.

"I get this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to manage these triggers."

Lottie has suffered from misophonia for several years and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by those around you.

It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts discovered almost one in five people suffer from it.

Often it's noises linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including examples such as chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.

'Anxiety Inducing'

The sufferer notes: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.

"My family are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy."

So it's obvious why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a living nightmare for those with the condition.

Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even result in them skipping events entirely.

Jenna, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says her strategy is to put her earphones in to cope. On any other day, she would often retreat in a separate space to avoid triggering sounds.

She explains her condition is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".

"There is pressure to be around family, and I want to, but it's draining.

"The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then panic will take over.

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

Three Ways to Handle It

If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from specialists.

1. Imagine Something Else: Creative thinking is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound causing distress with something completely different. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.