Christmas Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.

One young woman anticipates being with her relatives this Christmas, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by using her hearing protection - notably for Christmas dinner.

In her case, this time of year often feels like a notably tough time as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and sniffling make her feel intense distress.

"I get this feeling of sudden panic, my whole body will just tighten and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to manage these triggers."

Lottie has lived with sound sensitivity from a young age and for her that causes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to particular auditory triggers, notably sounds made by other people.

It is prevalent amongst adults. Experts discovered nearly 20% people suffer from it.

Frequently it's sounds linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.

'Anxiety Inducing'

The sufferer notes: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.

"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to guarantee the event goes smoothly."

So it's clear why the most wonderful time of the year can rapidly become a living nightmare for sufferers.

Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a powerful reaction that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.

Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, states currently her plan is to use headphones to manage the meal. Typically, she would frequently go in a separate space to avoid triggering sounds.

She says her misophonia is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so Christmas is always "hard".

"There's an expectation to be around family, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.

"I feel as if this sudden rage comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then panic will activate.

"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."

A Few Techniques to Cope

For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, according to clinical psychologists.

1. Picture Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Work on connecting the specific noise causing distress with something completely different. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a gentle stream. The goal is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
2. Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and make the irritating noise into a competition with the person. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not at their best or maybe they're upset. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound stays the same, your interpretation of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.