The Holiday Season Transforms Into a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.

A 23-year-old anticipates being with her relatives this Christmas, but says a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal.

In her case, the holidays often feels like a notably tough season as the auditory triggers of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily make her feel intense distress.

"There's this feeling of instant dread, my every muscle will just tighten and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to somehow control these sounds."

The individual has lived with this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, particularly those made by individuals.

It's surprisingly common in the UK. Researchers discovered a significant portion of people experience it.

Typically it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as crunching, breathing, and pen clicking.

A Source of Dread

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

"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a constant struggle of managing my symptoms to ensure others enjoy themselves."

So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful time of the year can transform into a source of agony for affected individuals.

Noises that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a visceral feeling that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.

The student, a 21-year-old student, who has dealt with misophonia from childhood, states currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Typically, she would frequently go in a quiet area to escape triggering sounds.

She explains her condition is more intense around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "challenging".

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

"The sensation is this uncontrollable anger 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 hard to explain unless you've experienced it."

A Few Techniques to Handle It

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

1. Picture Something Else: Mental imagery is essential. Try to associate the specific noise bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
2. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. For instance, if someone is crunching loudly try mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
3. Create a Scenario: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your reaction of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.