The Holiday Season Can Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.

Lottie hopes for spending time with her relatives this Christmas, but says one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal.

For the 23-year-old, Christmas can be a especially challenging season as the auditory triggers of people eating, slurping and nose-blowing trigger intense distress.

"There's this wave of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in danger, and I need to manage these sounds."

Lottie has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises made by those around you.

It's surprisingly common in the UK. Experts reported almost one in five people are affected by it.

Often it's sounds connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, including examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.

Triggering Stress

She explains: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.

"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to guarantee everyone else is happy."

So it's clear why the most wonderful period can transform into a living nightmare for those with the condition.

Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.

She, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to cope. On any other day, she would often retreat in a quiet area to escape problematic noises.

She explains her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "challenging".

"There's an expectation to be around family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"It's like this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will activate.

"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."

A Few Techniques to Handle It

For those affected then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from specialists.

1. Visualise Something Else: Creative thinking is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound affecting you with a neutral concept. So for example, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt joining in. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not feeling well or maybe they're upset. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your understanding of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.