The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.

Lottie anticipates seeing her relatives during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the holiday meal.

For her, the holidays can be a particularly difficult time as the auditory triggers of people eating, sipping loudly and breathing heavily make her feel intense distress.

"I experience this feeling of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these sounds."

Lottie has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, particularly those made by individuals.

It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers reported nearly 20% people suffer from it.

Frequently it's noises connected to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including examples such as crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

'Anxiety Inducing'

The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it.

"My relatives are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy."

So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can transform into a source of agony for sufferers.

Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a powerful reaction that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.

She, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, states her strategy is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Usually, she would often retreat in a separate space to minimize problematic noises.

She notes her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".

"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"It's like this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will take over.

"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."

Several Strategies to Handle It

For those affected then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists.

1. Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
2. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
3. Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.