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

A 23-year-old anticipates seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner.

In her case, Christmas can be a particularly difficult time as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and breathing heavily cause her extremely uncomfortable.

"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."

She has suffered from this condition for several years and for her that renders the Christmas time "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, notably sounds made by those around you.

The condition is widespread across the population. A study reported almost one in five people suffer from it.

Typically it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, along with things like crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.

Triggering Stress

She explains: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you dread it.

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

So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy period can rapidly become a living nightmare for sufferers.

Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can cause a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.

She, a university student, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, explains currently her plan is to listen to music to cope. Usually, she would often retreat in a separate space to minimize distressing triggers.

She says her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "difficult".

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

"It's like this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will take over.

"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."

Several Strategies to Manage

If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by specialists.

1. Picture Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Work on connecting the triggering sound bothering you with a neutral concept. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
2. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try copying the noise. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
3. Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your reaction of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.