Christmas Transforms Into a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.

One young woman is looking forward to being with her family during the festive period, but notes a primary method she'll cope is by wearing her earplugs - notably for Christmas dinner.

For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling trigger intense distress.

"I experience this sensation of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to manage these sounds."

Lottie has lived with this condition since she was 16 and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, particularly those coming from those around you.

It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers reported almost one in five people experience it.

Typically it's noises associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.

A Source of Dread

Lottie says: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread it.

"My family are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to ensure the event goes smoothly."

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

Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can cause a visceral feeling that can even result in them skipping events entirely.

The student, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia since aged 10, states 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 distressing triggers.

She says her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".

"People assume you to socialize with family, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.

"The sensation is this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will kick in.

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

Three Ways to Cope

If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from experts.

1. Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the particular sound affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
3. Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or maybe they're upset. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.