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

A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her family over the holidays, but admits a key strategy she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during Christmas dinner.

For her, the holidays often feels like a notably tough period as the noises of other people chewing, drinking noisily and breathing heavily make her feel profound anxiety.

"I experience this sensation of sudden panic, my entire being will just tighten and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these triggers."

The individual has suffered from sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that causes the holiday period "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, particularly those coming from other people.

It is prevalent amongst adults. Researchers reported a significant portion of people are affected by it.

Often it's sounds connected to eating or drinking that lead to discomfort, along with things like crunching, breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

A Source of Dread

She explains: "There are so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.

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

So it's clear why the most wonderful time of the year can transform into a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.

Triggers that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can cause a powerful reaction that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.

She, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity from childhood, explains her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid triggering sounds.

She explains her misophonia is more intense around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".

"There is pressure to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.

"It's like this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel panicked and begin to weep and then fight-or-flight will take over.

"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey unless you've experienced it."

Several Strategies to Handle It

If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by specialists.

1. Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is essential. Attempt to link the specific noise bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
2. Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. For example, if someone is crunching loudly try joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the game aspect should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
3. Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound remains identical, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.