The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.

A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her family during the festive period, but notes a primary method she'll cope is by using her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner.

For the 23-year-old, Christmas is a particularly difficult time as the sounds of family members munching, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her intense distress.

"I experience this sensation of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these sounds."

Lottie has suffered from this condition for several years and for her that makes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".

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

The condition is widespread in the UK. A study found nearly 20% people are affected by it.

Typically it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, along with things like crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.

'Anxiety Inducing'

The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.

"My relatives 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 make sure the event goes smoothly."

So it's obvious why the traditionally happy time of the year can transform into a living nightmare for affected individuals.

Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.

She, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, says her strategy is to listen to music to manage the meal. On any other day, she would frequently go in a different room to minimize triggering sounds.

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

"There is pressure to be around family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will take over.

"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."

Three Ways to Cope

For those affected then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists.

1. Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Craft a Story: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.