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

A 23-year-old anticipates being with her relatives this Christmas, but says a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal.

For the 23-year-old, Christmas is a particularly difficult period as the sounds of family members munching, slurping and nose-blowing cause her extremely uncomfortable.

"I experience this wave of instant dread, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."

She has experienced sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that renders the holiday period "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, notably sounds made by individuals.

It is prevalent across the population. A study discovered a significant portion of people experience it.

Typically it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, including things like crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.

Triggering Stress

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

"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to guarantee the event goes smoothly."

So it's easy to understand why the supposedly joyous period can rapidly become a living nightmare for sufferers.

Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can trigger a powerful reaction that can even lead to them skipping events entirely.

The student, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia for over a decade, explains her strategy is to listen to music to cope. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to minimize triggering sounds.

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

"There is pressure to spend time with family, and I wish to, but it's draining.

"The sensation is this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel awkward, 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 dramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."

A Few Techniques to Handle It

For those affected then there are some different techniques you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.

1. Picture an Alternative: Mental imagery is crucial. Work on connecting the particular sound bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
2. Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
3. Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your understanding of it changes from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.