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

A 23-year-old is looking forward to being with her family this Christmas, but says a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by using her earplugs - notably for Christmas dinner.

For the 23-year-old, this time of year often feels like a notably tough period as the noises of family members munching, sipping loudly and breathing heavily make her feel intense distress.

"I experience this sensation of instant dread, my whole body will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these sounds."

Lottie has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises coming from those around you.

It is prevalent across the population. Experts discovered nearly 20% people suffer from it.

Typically it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that cause distress, as well as examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.

A Source of Dread

The sufferer notes: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it.

"My family are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee everyone else is happy."

So it's obvious why the traditionally happy season can transform into a living nightmare for sufferers.

Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can provoke a powerful reaction that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.

She, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains her strategy is to listen to music to manage the meal. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid problematic noises.

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

"People assume you to spend time with 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 embarrassing, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then the stress response will kick in.

"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."

Several Strategies to Handle It

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

1. Imagine Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Try to associate the specific noise causing distress with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
2. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is doing it. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not at their best or are troubled. By doing this is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.