For Lottie, 23-years-old, Christmas can be a particularly difficult time as the sounds of other people, chewing, slurping and sniffling make her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I get this feeling of sudden panic, my whole body will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these noises."
Lottie has suffered from misophonia since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, particularly those made by other people.
It's surprisingly common in the UK. In 2023, researchers from King's College London and University of Oxford, external found almost one in five people suffer from it.
Often it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, as well as things like chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
