Christmas Can Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.

Lottie anticipates spending time with her relatives over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - especially during Christmas dinner.

For the 23-year-old, the holidays can be a especially challenging season as the sounds of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel intense distress.

"I experience this feeling of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."

Lottie has suffered from this condition since she was 16 and for her that causes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by individuals.

The condition is widespread across the population. Experts reported nearly 20% people are affected by it.

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

'Anxiety Inducing'

The sufferer notes: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.

"My relatives are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to guarantee others enjoy themselves."

So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.

Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a powerful reaction that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.

The student, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, says currently her plan is to listen to music to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to escape problematic noises.

She says her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard".

"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining.

"It's like this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then the stress response will take over.

"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."

Several Strategies to Cope

If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.

1. Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is key. Attempt to link the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
2. Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help redirect your focus 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 having to make that sound. 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 changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.