Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.

Lottie is looking forward to spending time with her family over the holidays, but admits a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.

For her, the holidays often feels like a especially challenging season as the sounds of people eating, drinking noisily and breathing heavily cause her profound anxiety.

"I experience this sensation of sudden panic, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to manage these triggers."

Lottie has suffered from this condition for several years and for her that makes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, especially noises coming from other people.

It's surprisingly common in the UK. Experts found a significant portion of people suffer from it.

Often it's sounds associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.

'Anxiety Inducing'

The sufferer notes: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays 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 spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to ensure others enjoy themselves."

So it's clear why the traditionally happy time of the year can transform into a source of agony for those with the condition.

Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.

The student, a young adult, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to cope. Usually, she would often retreat in a different room to escape distressing triggers.

She explains her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "hard".

"There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I want to, but it's draining.

"The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then panic will take over.

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

Several Strategies to Cope

If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by experts.

1. Imagine an Alternative: Imagination is key. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
2. Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is doing it. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.