Christmas Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.

Lottie hopes for seeing her relatives over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by using her earplugs - notably for the holiday meal.

For the 23-year-old, this time of year often feels like a especially challenging time as the sounds of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable.

"I experience this feeling of instant dread, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to manage these sounds."

She has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, particularly those made by individuals.

It is prevalent in the UK. A study reported almost one in five people are affected by it.

Often it's noises linked to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.

'Anxiety Inducing'

Lottie says: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread it.

"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy."

So it's clear why the supposedly joyous season can transform into a living nightmare for those with the condition.

Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a visceral feeling that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.

Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says her strategy is to use headphones to cope. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to minimize triggering sounds.

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

"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.

"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.

"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."

Three Ways to Handle It

If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.

1. Picture an Alternative: Imagination is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound bothering you with an unrelated image. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
2. Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain 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 making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or could be emotional. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your understanding of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.