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

A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her loved ones this Christmas, but says one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by using her noise-cancelling devices - notably for the holiday meal.

For her, the holidays can be a especially challenging time as the sounds of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily cause her extremely uncomfortable.

"There's this sensation of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these triggers."

Lottie has experienced misophonia since she was 16 and for her that causes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, notably sounds made by other people.

It's surprisingly common across the population. Researchers discovered a significant portion of people experience it.

Often it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, including things like crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.

A Source of Dread

She explains: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.

"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to guarantee everyone else is happy."

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

Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a visceral feeling that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.

Jenna, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds.

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

"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then panic will activate.

"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."

Several Strategies to Cope

If you suffer then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.

1. Visualise a Different Scenario: Imagination is key. Attempt to link the specific noise causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
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 in good health or maybe they're upset. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your understanding of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.