Yuletide Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.

Lottie hopes for being with her family during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her earplugs - especially during Christmas dinner.

For her, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult period as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily make her feel intense distress.

"There's this sensation of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to manage these triggers."

The individual has experienced misophonia for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by other people.

It's surprisingly common amongst adults. A study found a significant portion of people are affected by it.

Typically it's noises associated with eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, including examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.

Triggering Stress

Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.

"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves."

So it's clear why the supposedly joyous season can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.

Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can provoke a visceral feeling that can even cause them skipping events entirely.

The student, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, states the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to minimize problematic noises.

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

"There's an expectation to be around family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"It's like this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then panic will kick in.

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

A Few Techniques to Cope

If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to specialists.

1. Picture a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
2. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
3. Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or are troubled. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.