Christmas Can Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.

Lottie anticipates being with her family over the holidays, but notes one of the only ways she'll cope is by using her earplugs - particularly at the holiday meal.

For the 23-year-old, Christmas can be a particularly difficult season as the auditory triggers of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.

"There's this feeling of immediate anxiety, my whole body will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to manage these triggers."

Lottie has lived with misophonia from a young age and for her that makes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to particular auditory triggers, especially noises made by individuals.

It's surprisingly common across the population. A study reported almost one in five people experience it.

Frequently it's noises linked to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.

'Anxiety Inducing'

She explains: "There are so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.

"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure everyone else is happy."

So it's clear why the supposedly joyous period can transform into a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.

Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can provoke a strong emotional response that can even cause them skipping events entirely.

Jenna, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, states her strategy is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would frequently go in a separate space to minimize triggering sounds.

She explains her misophonia is more intense around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "challenging".

"There's an expectation to spend time with loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.

"It's like this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will take over.

"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and overreacting, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."

Several Strategies to Manage

For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, according to clinical psychologists.

1. Picture a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is essential. Try to associate the particular sound causing distress with an unrelated image. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the game aspect 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 why the person making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not in good health or maybe they're upset. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.