Christmas Can Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.

Lottie anticipates being with her loved ones during the festive period, but says a key strategy she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at Christmas dinner.

For the 23-year-old, this time of year is a notably tough time as the sounds of other people chewing, slurping and nose-blowing make her feel intense distress.

"I experience this feeling of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these noises."

Lottie has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by those around you.

The condition is widespread in the UK. Researchers reported a significant portion of people experience it.

Frequently it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.

'Anxiety Inducing'

She explains: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.

"My relatives are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to ensure the event goes smoothly."

So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.

Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.

Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, says currently her plan is to use headphones to get through dinner. On any other day, she would frequently go in a different room to escape problematic noises.

She explains her condition is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".

"People assume you to socialize with family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"It's like this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then the stress response will take over.

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

Three Ways to Cope

If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from specialists.

1. Picture Something Else: Mental imagery is crucial. Try to associate the triggering sound affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
2. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your reaction of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.