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

A 23-year-old anticipates being with her loved ones this Christmas, but notes a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the holiday meal.

For the 23-year-old, this time of year is a particularly difficult time as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.

"I experience this wave of instant dread, my entire being will just tense up and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to manage these sounds."

The individual has experienced sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that makes the holiday period "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds coming from individuals.

It's surprisingly common in the UK. Experts reported a significant portion of people suffer from it.

Frequently it's noises connected to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, as well as examples such as chewing, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

'Anxiety Inducing'

She explains: "I face so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread it.

"My family are understanding, but I'm very conscious 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 season can transform into a living nightmare for sufferers.

Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a strong emotional response that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.

She, a young adult, who has struggled with sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to cope. On any other day, she would often retreat in a different room to escape problematic noises.

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

"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.

"The sensation is this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will kick in.

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

A Few Techniques to Handle It

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

1. Visualise a Different Scenario: Imagination is key. Try to associate the triggering sound causing distress with a neutral concept. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
2. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or could be emotional. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.