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

Lottie anticipates being with her family this Christmas, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by using her hearing protection - especially during the main festive feast.

For her, this time of year can be a especially challenging season as the sounds of family members munching, sipping loudly and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable.

"I experience this sensation of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these noises."

She has lived with this condition from a young age and for her that causes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises coming from other people.

It's surprisingly common in the UK. Experts found almost one in five people are affected by it.

Typically it's noises connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, as well as things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.

'Anxiety Inducing'

Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.

"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to ensure others enjoy themselves."

So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can transform into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.

Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.

Jenna, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to cope. Usually, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers.

She notes her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "difficult".

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

"I feel as if this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then the stress response will kick in.

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

Three Ways to Cope

If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.

1. Imagine an Alternative: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise causing distress with an unrelated image. 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 triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
3. Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound remains identical, your understanding of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.