The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.

One young woman anticipates spending time with her relatives this Christmas, but admits 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, this time of year can be a especially challenging season as the noises of people eating, slurping and sniffling cause her intense distress.

"There's this wave of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these sounds."

She has suffered from sound sensitivity for several years and for her that causes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from those around you.

It's surprisingly common across the population. Researchers found nearly 20% people experience it.

Often it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as chewing, breathing, and foot tapping.

Triggering Stress

She explains: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.

"My relatives are understanding, 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 ensure others enjoy themselves."

So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous season can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.

Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can cause a strong emotional response that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.

The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, explains the approach she intends to use is to use headphones to get through dinner. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to avoid distressing triggers.

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

"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.

"I feel as if this intense irritation comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will take over.

"To others it appears as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."

A Few Techniques to Cope

For those affected then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by specialists.

1. Imagine a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Attempt to link the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
2. Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to create a little story about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or could be emotional. This approach is changing the meaning of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.