Yuletide Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.

Lottie hopes for spending time with her relatives this Christmas, but notes a primary method she'll endure is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.

For the 23-year-old, the holidays can be a particularly difficult period as the sounds of family members munching, sipping loudly and nose-blowing make her feel intense distress.

"I get this sensation of instant dread, my whole body will just freeze and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these triggers."

She has suffered from sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, especially noises produced by individuals.

It's surprisingly common in the UK. Experts reported a significant portion of people experience it.

Often it's noises associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.

'Anxiety Inducing'

She explains: "There are so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you dread it.

"My family are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure others enjoy themselves."

So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous season can transform into a stressful ordeal for sufferers.

Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.

The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, explains currently her plan is to use headphones to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a separate space to avoid distressing triggers.

She explains her misophonia is more intense around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".

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

"The sensation is this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over.

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

A Few Techniques to Manage

If you suffer then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by specialists.

1. Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the particular sound affecting you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
2. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Craft a Story: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.