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

One young woman is looking forward to seeing her relatives this Christmas, but admits a primary method she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - notably for Christmas dinner.

For her, the holidays is a particularly difficult time as the sounds of people eating, drinking noisily and nose-blowing cause her profound anxiety.

"I experience this wave of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just tense up and it as though I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these triggers."

She has experienced this condition from a young age and for her that renders the festive season "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, especially noises coming from individuals.

The condition is widespread across the population. Experts reported almost one in five people suffer from it.

Often it's sounds associated with mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, as well as things like crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.

'Anxiety Inducing'

She explains: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.

"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to make sure the event goes smoothly."

So it's obvious why the most wonderful period can transform into a living nightmare for sufferers.

Noises that may appear innocuous, like someone sipping a beverage, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or enjoying festive food can cause a visceral feeling that can even result in them skipping events entirely.

Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, says her strategy is to use headphones to get through dinner. Typically, she would often retreat in a different room to minimize distressing triggers.

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

"There's an expectation to spend time with family, and I desire to, but it's draining.

"I feel as if this sudden rage washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then the stress response will kick in.

"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."

Several Strategies to Handle It

If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.

1. Picture Something Else: Imagination is crucial. Work on connecting the particular sound affecting you with something completely different. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
2. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a competition with the culprit. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at copying the noise. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an willing part. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about the reason someone making the noise is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or could be emotional. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. While the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.