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

One young woman hopes for seeing her relatives over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by using her earplugs - particularly at the holiday meal.

In her case, Christmas often feels like a particularly difficult period as the sounds of family members munching, slurping and sniffling make her feel intense distress.

"I get this wave of sudden panic, my entire being will just tighten and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these sounds."

She has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that causes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises produced by other people.

It is prevalent in the UK. Experts discovered almost one in five people suffer from it.

Typically it's noises connected to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, as well as things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

'Anxiety Inducing'

The sufferer notes: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.

"My family are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy."

So it's clear why the traditionally happy period can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers.

Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.

Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to cope. Usually, she would frequently go in a different room to escape distressing triggers.

She notes her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".

"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.

"It's like this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel awkward, 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 unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."

A Few Techniques to Manage

If you suffer then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from experts.

1. Imagine a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is crucial. Attempt to link the triggering sound affecting you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
2. Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.