Yuletide Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.

One young woman is looking forward to seeing her loved ones over the holidays, but says a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at the main festive feast.

In her case, this time of year often feels like a notably tough period as the sounds of family members munching, drinking noisily and nose-blowing make her feel extremely uncomfortable.

"I get this feeling of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to stop these triggers."

The individual has experienced this condition since she was 16 and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, notably sounds coming from individuals.

It's surprisingly common across the population. Experts discovered nearly 20% people are affected by it.

Typically it's sounds associated with bodily functions that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

A Source of Dread

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

"My relatives are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to ensure the event goes smoothly."

So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can transform into a source of agony for affected individuals.

Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.

The student, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains her strategy is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a different room to minimize distressing triggers.

She notes her sensitivity is worse around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "difficult".

"There is pressure to be around family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"It's like this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then panic will take over.

"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."

A Few Techniques to Manage

If you suffer then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, according to specialists.

1. Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with something completely different. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral.
2. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a game 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 active participant. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
3. Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or are troubled. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.