Yuletide Can Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.

A 23-year-old hopes for spending time with her family during the festive period, but admits one of the only ways she'll endure is by using her earplugs - notably for Christmas dinner.

For the 23-year-old, this time of year often feels like a particularly difficult period as the sounds of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety.

"There's this sensation of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it seems as if I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to manage these sounds."

The individual has suffered from misophonia since she was 16 and for her that renders the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises produced by individuals.

The condition is widespread amongst adults. A study found nearly 20% people experience it.

Typically it's noises connected to eating or drinking that cause distress, including things like chewing, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.

'Anxiety Inducing'

She explains: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you dread it.

"My relatives are understanding, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure the event goes smoothly."

So it's clear why the most wonderful time of the year can transform into a source of agony for those with the condition.

Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can trigger a strong emotional response that can even cause them skipping events entirely.

The student, a young adult, who has struggled with misophonia from childhood, explains the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to cope. On any other day, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape problematic noises.

She notes her condition is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "hard".

"There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"I feel as if this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then the stress response will take over.

"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe unless you've experienced it."

A Few Techniques to Cope

For those affected then there are various strategies you can attempt to manage the situation, according to clinical psychologists.

1. Picture an Alternative: Creative thinking is essential. Attempt to link the triggering sound causing distress with something completely different. So for example, try to picture someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
2. Try a Competition: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you a little less affected.
3. Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, maybe they are not feeling well or maybe they're upset. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the sound remains identical, your understanding of it changes from being irritating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.