The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.

Lottie is looking forward to seeing her family this Christmas, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.

In her case, the holidays can be a especially challenging season as the noises of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily trigger intense distress.

"There's this sensation of instant dread, my entire being will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to manage these noises."

She has experienced this condition for several years and for her that causes the festive season "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, especially noises made by those around you.

It is prevalent in the UK. Experts found a significant portion of people experience it.

Typically it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, as well as things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.

'Anxiety Inducing'

Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.

"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy."

So it's clear why the most wonderful time of the year can transform into a living nightmare for sufferers.

Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a strong emotional response that can even result in them skipping events entirely.

Jenna, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, says her strategy is to listen to music to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize distressing triggers.

She says her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".

"There is pressure to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"The sensation is this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over.

"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."

A Few Techniques to Cope

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

1. Visualise an Alternative: Imagination is essential. Try to associate the particular sound affecting you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
3. Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your understanding of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.