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

One young woman hopes for spending time with her loved ones this Christmas, but notes a primary method she'll cope is by relying on her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal.

For the 23-year-old, this time of year can be a especially challenging time as the noises of people eating, drinking noisily and breathing heavily make her feel profound anxiety.

"I get this sensation of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to stop these noises."

She has suffered from misophonia since she was 16 and for her that causes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".

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

It's surprisingly common amongst adults. Researchers found nearly 20% people suffer from it.

Often it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, including things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.

Triggering Stress

She explains: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.

"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure everyone else is happy."

So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous period can transform into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.

Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.

Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, says currently her plan is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to minimize problematic noises.

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

"There is pressure to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.

"It's like this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will activate.

"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it."

A Few Techniques to Cope

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

1. Visualise Something Else: Mental imagery is essential. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with an unrelated image. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
2. Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Craft a Story: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, 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 doesn't change, your understanding of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.