Yuletide Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.

Lottie is looking forward to seeing her family over the holidays, but admits one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - especially during Christmas dinner.

For her, the holidays is a notably tough season as the noises of people eating, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel extremely uncomfortable.

"There's this wave of sudden panic, my whole body will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these triggers."

She has experienced this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises produced by individuals.

The condition is widespread across the population. Experts found a significant portion of people are affected by it.

Often it's noises linked to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, including things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.

Triggering Stress

She explains: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.

"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee others enjoy themselves."

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

Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.

Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would often retreat in a quiet area to minimize distressing triggers.

She explains her misophonia is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".

"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I desire to, but it's draining.

"I feel as if this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then the stress response will take over.

"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."

Several Strategies to Manage

For those affected then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.

1. Visualise an Alternative: Creative thinking is essential. Try to associate the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your interpretation of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.