The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.

A 23-year-old hopes for seeing her loved ones during the festive period, but notes a key strategy she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her earplugs - notably for the main festive feast.

In her case, the holidays can be a particularly difficult time as the noises of people eating, drinking noisily and nose-blowing trigger profound anxiety.

"I experience this feeling of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to manage these noises."

The individual has experienced sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "deeply taxing".

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

It's surprisingly common across the population. Experts reported almost one in five people suffer from it.

Typically it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, along with things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.

'Anxiety Inducing'

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

"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to guarantee everyone else is happy."

So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for affected individuals.

Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a powerful reaction that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.

Jenna, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, says her strategy is to use headphones to cope. On any other day, she would often retreat in a different room to avoid problematic noises.

She says her condition is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".

"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then the stress response will take over.

"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."

A Few Techniques to Manage

If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from experts.

1. Imagine an Alternative: Imagination is crucial. Attempt to link the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you is neutral.
2. Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.