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

Lottie hopes for seeing her loved ones over the holidays, but says a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.

For her, this time of year often feels like a especially challenging period as the sounds of family members munching, drinking noisily and sniffling trigger profound anxiety.

"There's this wave of instant dread, my entire being will just freeze and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these sounds."

She has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that makes the festive season "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, especially noises made by individuals.

The condition is widespread across the population. Experts reported a significant portion of people experience it.

Often it's noises associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.

'Anxiety Inducing'

Lottie says: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful 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 constant struggle of managing my symptoms to make sure the event goes smoothly."

So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous time of the year can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.

Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.

Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, states the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would frequently go in a different room to minimize distressing triggers.

She says her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "difficult".

"People assume you to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.

"I feel as if this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.

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

A Few Techniques to Manage

If you suffer then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to experts.

1. Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is essential. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
2. Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Craft a Story: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.