Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.

A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her loved ones over the holidays, but notes a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - especially during Christmas dinner.

For the 23-year-old, Christmas is a notably tough period as the auditory triggers of family members munching, sipping loudly and breathing heavily cause her profound anxiety.

"I experience this sensation of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these triggers."

The individual has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by other people.

The condition is widespread across the population. A study discovered a significant portion of people are affected by it.

Typically it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, along with things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

'Anxiety Inducing'

Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it.

"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to ensure others enjoy themselves."

So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous period can transform into a living nightmare for those with the condition.

Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can trigger a visceral feeling that can even cause them skipping events entirely.

Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, explains currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to escape distressing triggers.

She says her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard".

"There is pressure to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.

"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will activate.

"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."

A Few Techniques to Manage

For those affected then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.

1. Picture Something Else: Imagination is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise causing distress with something completely different. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
2. Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
3. Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.