The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.

Lottie is looking forward to spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by using her earplugs - particularly at the holiday meal.

In her case, Christmas often feels like a notably tough time as the sounds of people eating, drinking noisily and nose-blowing trigger extremely uncomfortable.

"There's this sensation of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these sounds."

She has lived with this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, notably sounds produced by other people.

It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people experience it.

Typically it's noises connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.

'Anxiety Inducing'

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 relatives 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 managing my symptoms to ensure others enjoy themselves."

So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy time of the year can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers.

Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a strong emotional response that can even cause them skipping events entirely.

Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.

She says her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".

"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.

"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will kick in.

"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."

Several Strategies to Cope

For those affected then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by specialists.

1. Visualise a Different Scenario: Imagination is crucial. Try to associate the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
2. Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.