Christmas Transforms Into a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.

Lottie anticipates spending time with her loved ones during the festive period, but says a primary method she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal.

For her, Christmas can be a particularly difficult period as the noises of other people chewing, sipping loudly and nose-blowing trigger extremely uncomfortable.

"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tighten 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 makes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, notably sounds made by individuals.

The condition is widespread across the population. Experts found almost one in five people suffer from it.

Often it's noises associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

A Source of Dread

The sufferer notes: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.

"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to ensure everyone else is happy."

So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.

Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a visceral feeling that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.

She, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to get through dinner. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to escape problematic noises.

She explains her condition is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".

"There is pressure to be around family, and I want to, but it's draining.

"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will take over.

"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."

A Few Techniques to Handle It

If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by specialists.

1. Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Work on connecting the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, 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. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise remains identical, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.