One young woman is looking forward to seeing her family during the festive period, but says one of the only ways she'll endure is by using her earplugs - particularly at the main festive feast.
For her, the holidays often feels like a especially challenging season as the auditory triggers of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling cause her intense distress.
"There's this sensation of sudden panic, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to stop these sounds."
She has suffered from this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from those around you.
It's surprisingly common amongst adults. A study reported nearly 20% people experience it.
Often it's noises associated with eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous period can quickly turn into a source of agony for those with the condition.
Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.
The student, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says her strategy is to use headphones to cope. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid problematic noises.
She says her condition is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"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 Handle It
For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists.
- Picture Something Else: Mental imagery is key. Attempt to link the triggering sound affecting you with something completely different. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game 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 engaged person. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the noise stays the same, your understanding of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
