The Holiday Season Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.

One young woman hopes for being with her loved ones over the holidays, but notes a key strategy she'll cope is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at the main festive feast.

For the 23-year-old, this time of year is a particularly difficult season as the sounds of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily cause her intense distress.

"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to manage these sounds."

Lottie has suffered from misophonia since she was 16 and for her that makes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to specific noises, especially noises made by other people.

It's surprisingly common across the population. Experts discovered a significant portion of people experience it.

Often it's sounds associated with eating or drinking that cause distress, including examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.

A Source of Dread

Lottie says: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you fear it.

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

So it's clear why the most wonderful season can rapidly become a living nightmare for those with the condition.

Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can cause a strong emotional response that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.

Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, explains currently her plan is to listen to music to get through dinner. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers.

She notes her sensitivity is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "difficult".

"There's an expectation to be around loved ones, and I wish to, but it's draining.

"The sensation is 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 take over.

"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."

Three Ways to Manage

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

1. Picture an Alternative: Imagination is crucial. Attempt to link the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
2. Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. For example, if someone is eating noisily attempt mimicking the sound. Through participation, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
3. Develop a Narrative: A further strategy is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. So if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or could be emotional. The idea is altering the perception of the sound. Although the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.