The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.

Lottie hopes for seeing her family over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner.

For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a notably tough season as the noises of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling make her feel intense distress.

"I experience this wave of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to stop these noises."

Lottie has lived with sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, especially noises produced by other people.

It is prevalent amongst adults. A study reported a significant portion of people are affected by it.

Typically it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.

A Source of Dread

The sufferer notes: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.

"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to guarantee the event goes smoothly."

So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous season can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.

Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a visceral feeling that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.

The student, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, says her strategy is to put her earphones in to cope. Typically, she would frequently go in a different room to escape distressing triggers.

She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".

"There is pressure to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.

"The sensation is this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then the stress response will kick in.

"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."

Three Ways to Manage

If you suffer then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts.

1. Visualise an Alternative: Creative thinking is essential. Try to associate the particular sound causing distress with an unrelated image. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
2. Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation 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 in good health or could be emotional. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your understanding of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.