Yuletide Can Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.

One young woman hopes for seeing her relatives this Christmas, but says a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the holiday meal.

For the 23-year-old, Christmas can be a notably tough time as the noises of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.

"I get this feeling of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."

Lottie has experienced misophonia since she was 16 and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds coming from other people.

It's surprisingly common in the UK. Experts reported almost one in five people experience it.

Typically it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that cause distress, along with examples such as crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.

'Anxiety Inducing'

Lottie says: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.

"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly."

So it's obvious why the most wonderful time of the year can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.

Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a strong emotional response that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.

Jenna, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, says her strategy is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to minimize problematic noises.

She notes her misophonia is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard".

"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.

"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will take over.

"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."

Several Strategies to Manage

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

1. Picture Something Else: Mental imagery is essential. Work on connecting the triggering sound bothering you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your reaction of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.