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

One young woman hopes for being with her family this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by wearing her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast.

For her, Christmas often feels like a notably tough time as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable.

"There's this sensation of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these noises."

Lottie has lived with this condition for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those coming from individuals.

It is prevalent amongst adults. Experts reported nearly 20% people suffer from it.

Typically it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.

A Source of Dread

She explains: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.

"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves."

So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can quickly turn into a source of agony for affected individuals.

Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.

Jenna, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, says the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to cope. On any other day, she would frequently go in a separate space to minimize problematic noises.

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

"People assume you to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then panic will kick in.

"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."

A Few Techniques to Handle It

If you suffer then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by experts.

1. Imagine Something Else: Creative thinking is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
3. Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your interpretation of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.