The Holiday Season Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.

A 23-year-old anticipates being with her relatives during the festive period, but admits a primary method she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - especially during Christmas dinner.

For the 23-year-old, the holidays can be a particularly difficult season as the auditory triggers of family members munching, sipping loudly and nose-blowing trigger intense distress.

"I experience this wave of instant dread, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to stop these triggers."

Lottie has lived with this condition from a young age and for her that causes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, particularly those made by other people.

It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers found a significant portion of people experience it.

Typically it's sounds associated with bodily functions that cause distress, as well as things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

A Source of Dread

She explains: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.

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

So it's clear why the most wonderful season can rapidly become a living nightmare for those with the condition.

Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a visceral feeling that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.

She, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, states her strategy is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize problematic noises.

She says her sensitivity is worse around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".

"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.

"It's like this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will activate.

"It can come across as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."

Three Ways to Manage

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

1. Imagine Something Else: Mental imagery is crucial. Try to associate the triggering sound causing distress with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. 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 competition with the person. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person making the noise is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or are troubled. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.