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

One young woman hopes for seeing her family during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at Christmas dinner.

For her, the holidays can be a notably tough period as the sounds of family members munching, slurping and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety.

"There's this sensation of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these triggers."

The individual has suffered from this condition for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, particularly those coming from those around you.

It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people are affected by it.

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

'Anxiety Inducing'

Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you dread it.

"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to ensure others enjoy themselves."

So it's clear why the most wonderful period can transform into a source of agony for those with the condition.

Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.

The student, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia for over a decade, says the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to get through dinner. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to avoid triggering sounds.

She says her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".

"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then the stress response will kick in.

"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."

Several Strategies to Manage

For those affected then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.

1. Imagine a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
2. Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Craft a Story: One more method is to try to create a little story about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.