Christmas Transforms Into a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.

Lottie anticipates being with her family this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by relying on her hearing protection - especially during the main festive feast.

For the 23-year-old, the holidays is a particularly difficult season as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, slurping and sniffling cause her intense distress.

"I get this sensation of sudden panic, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these noises."

Lottie has experienced this condition for several years and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from other people.

The condition is widespread amongst adults. Researchers reported a significant portion of people experience it.

Typically it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

A Source of Dread

She explains: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you fear it.

"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy."

So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can transform into a source of agony for those with the condition.

Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a powerful reaction that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.

The student, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to cope. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds.

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

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

"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then panic will take over.

"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."

Several Strategies to Cope

If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by specialists.

1. Visualise an Alternative: Imagination is key. Try to associate the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
2. Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or are troubled. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise remains identical, your understanding of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.