The Holiday Season Can Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.

Lottie hopes for being with her family over the holidays, but admits a key strategy she'll cope is by relying on her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast.

For her, this time of year is a particularly difficult time as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and nose-blowing trigger extremely uncomfortable.

"I experience this wave of instant dread, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these sounds."

Lottie has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds made by individuals.

It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Experts reported nearly 20% people experience it.

Typically it's sounds associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.

'Anxiety Inducing'

She explains: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.

"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure the event goes smoothly."

So it's clear why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers.

Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a visceral feeling that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.

Jenna, a young adult, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, states currently her plan is to listen to music to cope. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to avoid problematic noises.

She says her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".

"There is pressure to be around family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"It's like this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then panic will activate.

"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."

A Few Techniques to Cope

If you suffer then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by specialists.

1. Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the triggering sound causing distress with something completely different. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
2. Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.