Yuletide Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Misophonia Sufferers.

Lottie anticipates spending time with her relatives this Christmas, but says a primary method she'll endure is by using her hearing protection - notably for Christmas dinner.

For her, this time of year often feels like a particularly difficult season as the auditory triggers of people eating, sipping loudly and breathing heavily trigger intense distress.

"I experience this wave of instant dread, my entire being will just tighten and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these noises."

Lottie has experienced this condition for several years and for her that makes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, notably sounds made by other people.

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

Typically it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.

Triggering Stress

The sufferer notes: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.

"My family are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly."

So it's obvious why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a living nightmare for sufferers.

Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a visceral feeling that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.

Jenna, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains her strategy is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Typically, she would frequently go in a different room to minimize distressing triggers.

She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard".

"There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then panic will kick in.

"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."

Several Strategies to Manage

If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by experts.

1. Visualise Something Else: Mental imagery is crucial. Try to associate the triggering sound causing distress with an unrelated image. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
2. Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not feeling well or are troubled. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your understanding of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.