The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.

One young woman hopes for being with her family over the holidays, but says a key strategy she'll cope is by using her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal.

For the 23-year-old, this time of year can be a particularly difficult time as the noises of other people chewing, sipping loudly and breathing heavily cause her extremely uncomfortable.

"I experience this sensation of instant dread, my every muscle will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these triggers."

Lottie has lived with sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, particularly those made by those around you.

It's surprisingly common across the population. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people suffer from it.

Typically it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, along with things like chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.

A Source of Dread

Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you fear it.

"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of managing my symptoms to make sure others enjoy themselves."

So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can rapidly become a living nightmare for affected individuals.

Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a visceral feeling that can even cause them skipping events entirely.

The student, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity from childhood, states the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to get through dinner. Typically, she would often retreat in a separate space to avoid triggering sounds.

She explains her condition is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult".

"There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then panic will take over.

"To others it appears as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."

Several Strategies to Cope

For those affected then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by specialists.

1. Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the specific noise causing distress with an unrelated image. So for example, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral.
2. Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.