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

A 23-year-old anticipates seeing her relatives this Christmas, but says a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.

In her case, the holidays is a notably tough time as the auditory triggers of people eating, drinking noisily and nose-blowing make her feel profound anxiety.

"I get this feeling of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these noises."

The individual has experienced sound sensitivity since she was 16 and for her that makes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, especially noises coming from those around you.

It's surprisingly common in the UK. A study reported nearly 20% people are affected by it.

Typically it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.

Triggering Stress

The sufferer notes: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.

"My relatives are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to ensure everyone else is happy."

So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous season can quickly turn into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.

Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a powerful reaction that can even cause them skipping events entirely.

Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to get through dinner. Usually, she would frequently go in a different room to escape problematic noises.

She notes her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".

"There is pressure to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.

"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then panic will kick in.

"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."

Several Strategies to Manage

If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.

1. Visualise a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the specific noise affecting you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
3. Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or could be emotional. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.