Yuletide Can Be a Living Hell for Misophonia Sufferers.

Lottie is looking forward to being with her relatives this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by relying on her hearing protection - notably for the holiday meal.

For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult period as the sounds of other people chewing, drinking noisily and breathing heavily make her feel profound anxiety.

"There's this wave of sudden panic, my whole body will just tense up and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these noises."

The individual has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that makes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises coming from other people.

It's surprisingly common in the UK. Experts found a significant portion of people are affected by it.

Typically it's noises linked to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.

A Source of Dread

The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.

"My family are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy."

So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy period can transform into a living nightmare for affected individuals.

Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a powerful reaction that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.

Jenna, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains currently her plan is to use headphones to cope. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds.

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

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

"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will kick in.

"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."

Three Ways to Cope

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

1. Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the specific noise bothering you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to picture 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. Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your understanding of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.