Yuletide Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.

Lottie anticipates seeing her family during the festive period, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during Christmas dinner.

For her, Christmas can be a particularly difficult period as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling make her feel extremely uncomfortable.

"There's this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these triggers."

She has experienced misophonia 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 coming from other people.

The condition is widespread in the UK. Researchers discovered a significant portion of people suffer from it.

Typically it's noises linked to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, including examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.

'Anxiety Inducing'

She explains: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.

"My family are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to ensure the event goes smoothly."

So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous period can rapidly become a source of agony for those with the condition.

Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a visceral feeling that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.

Jenna, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, states the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to avoid triggering sounds.

She says her condition is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".

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

"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then the stress response will take over.

"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."

Three Ways to Manage

For those affected then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.

1. Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is crucial. Try to associate the particular sound bothering you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral.
2. Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
3. Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.