The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.

A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast.

For her, the holidays can be a particularly difficult season as the sounds of family members munching, drinking noisily and nose-blowing trigger profound anxiety.

"I experience this feeling of sudden panic, my entire being will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these triggers."

She has experienced sound sensitivity for several years and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, particularly those produced by individuals.

The condition is widespread in the UK. Experts reported a significant portion of people are affected by it.

Typically it's sounds associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.

Triggering Stress

Lottie says: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.

"My family are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to make sure everyone else is happy."

So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful season can transform into a living nightmare for sufferers.

Noises that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.

Jenna, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, states the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to escape distressing triggers.

She says her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".

"There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.

"The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then panic will kick in.

"It may seem 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, as suggested by clinical psychologists.

1. Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
2. Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or could be emotional. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your reaction of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.