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

Lottie hopes for being with her relatives this Christmas, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for Christmas dinner.

For her, the holidays is a especially challenging time as the auditory triggers of other people chewing, drinking noisily and breathing heavily trigger extremely uncomfortable.

"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tense up and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to stop these noises."

She has suffered from this condition since she was 16 and for her that causes the festive season "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds made by individuals.

The condition is widespread amongst adults. Experts reported almost one in five people are affected by it.

Often it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.

'Anxiety Inducing'

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

"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure others enjoy themselves."

So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful period can transform into a source of agony for sufferers.

Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.

The student, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced misophonia from childhood, says her strategy is to put her earphones in to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to escape triggering sounds.

She notes her misophonia is worse around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "challenging".

"There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.

"The sensation is this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will take over.

"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."

Three Ways to Handle It

If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, according to experts.

1. Picture Something Else: Creative thinking is crucial. Try to associate the specific noise causing distress with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.