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

A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones during the festive period, but admits a key strategy she'll cope is by wearing her earplugs - notably for the holiday meal.

For her, the holidays can be a particularly difficult season as the sounds of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily cause her profound anxiety.

"There's this sensation of instant dread, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."

The individual has lived with misophonia since she was 16 and for her that causes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds coming from other people.

It's surprisingly common across the population. Experts discovered almost one in five people experience it.

Frequently it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.

A Source of Dread

The sufferer notes: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.

"My family are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to ensure others enjoy themselves."

So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.

Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.

She, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Usually, she would often retreat in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers.

She explains her condition is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".

"There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.

"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then panic will take over.

"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."

Three Ways to Manage

If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from specialists.

1. Imagine Something Else: Imagination is key. Attempt to link the triggering sound causing distress with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
2. Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is doing it. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or could be emotional. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.