The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.

Lottie anticipates seeing her relatives this Christmas, but admits a primary method she'll endure is by using her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast.

For her, the holidays is a notably tough season as the noises of family members munching, slurping and sniffling trigger extremely uncomfortable.

"I experience this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just tense up and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these triggers."

She has suffered from sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that makes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from those around you.

The condition is widespread across the population. Researchers reported almost one in five people experience it.

Often it's noises associated with eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.

'Anxiety Inducing'

The sufferer notes: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.

"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure others enjoy themselves."

So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.

Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.

Jenna, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, states her strategy is to listen to music to cope. Typically, she would frequently go in a different room to minimize triggering sounds.

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

"There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.

"It's like this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate.

"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."

Three Ways to Manage

If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.

1. Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Attempt to link the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you is neutral.
2. Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus 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 making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your reaction of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.