The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.

A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her relatives during the festive period, but admits a primary method she'll endure is by using her earplugs - particularly at the holiday meal.

In her case, the holidays often feels like a particularly difficult season as the sounds of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling trigger extremely uncomfortable.

"There's this sensation of sudden panic, my whole body will just freeze and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to manage these sounds."

Lottie has experienced this condition since she was 16 and for her that renders the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by other people.

It is prevalent across the population. Experts found nearly 20% people experience it.

Typically it's sounds connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, along with things like chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

'Anxiety Inducing'

Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.

"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure the event goes smoothly."

So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy time of the year can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for sufferers.

Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can trigger a visceral feeling that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.

The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says her strategy is to use headphones to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a separate space to escape problematic noises.

She says her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".

"People assume you to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"I feel as if this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will take over.

"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."

Several Strategies to Manage

If you suffer then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, according to clinical psychologists.

1. Imagine Something Else: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Use Humor: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.