Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Those with Misophonia.

Lottie anticipates being with her relatives during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the main festive feast.

In her case, Christmas is a especially challenging season as the sounds of family members munching, drinking noisily and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety.

"I get this feeling of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to manage these noises."

Lottie has suffered from misophonia from a young age and for her that causes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those made by other people.

It's surprisingly common in the UK. Experts reported nearly 20% people suffer from it.

Often it's noises associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

'Anxiety Inducing'

Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.

"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee everyone else is happy."

So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.

Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can cause a powerful reaction that can even cause them skipping events entirely.

Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to escape problematic noises.

She explains her condition is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult".

"There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"I feel as if this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then panic will take over.

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

Three Ways to Cope

For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from specialists.

1. Picture Something Else: Creative thinking is crucial. Try to associate the triggering sound bothering you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Craft a Story: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your reaction of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.