Christmas Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.

One young woman is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones this Christmas, but admits a key strategy she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - particularly at Christmas dinner.

For her, the holidays is a notably tough period as the sounds of people eating, drinking noisily and sniffling trigger intense distress.

"I get this sensation of instant dread, my entire being will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to stop these triggers."

She has suffered from sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that makes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to certain sounds, notably sounds coming from individuals.

It's surprisingly common amongst adults. A study reported a significant portion of people experience it.

Often it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, as well as things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.

A Source of Dread

She explains: "I face so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.

"My relatives are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to ensure everyone else is happy."

So it's clear why the most wonderful season can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for sufferers.

Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.

The student, a university student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to avoid distressing triggers.

She says her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".

"People assume you to socialize with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's draining.

"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over.

"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and overreacting, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."

A Few Techniques to Cope

If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, according to clinical psychologists.

1. Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is crucial. Try to associate the particular sound bothering you with something completely different. So for example, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you poses no threat.
2. Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. As an example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
3. Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or could be emotional. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your understanding of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a bit more accepting about it.