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

Lottie anticipates spending time with her family during the festive period, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the main festive feast.

In her case, the holidays is a notably tough season as the auditory triggers of family members munching, slurping and nose-blowing trigger profound anxiety.

"There's this feeling of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tense up and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to manage these triggers."

The individual has suffered from misophonia from a young age and for her that causes the holiday period "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, especially noises produced by other people.

It's surprisingly common amongst adults. A study reported almost one in five people suffer from it.

Often it's noises connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.

'Anxiety Inducing'

The sufferer notes: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.

"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a really big battle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure others enjoy themselves."

So it's clear why the traditionally happy season can rapidly become a living nightmare for affected individuals.

Triggers that may be considered normal, like someone sipping a beverage, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them avoiding social settings altogether.

Jenna, a 21-year-old student, who has experienced sound sensitivity from childhood, explains her strategy is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. On any other day, she would frequently go in a different room to escape problematic noises.

She explains her condition is more pronounced around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "challenging".

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

"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will take over.

"It may seem as if I'm being oversensitive and dramatic, but it's difficult to convey if you haven't felt it."

A Few Techniques to Cope

If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.

1. Imagine a Different Scenario: Mental imagery is key. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with something completely different. As an illustration, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a gentle stream. This technique is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you isn't harmful.
2. Try a Competition: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a competition involving the source. For instance, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Develop a Narrative: One more method is to try to fabricate an explanation about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was making a nasal sound, it could be that they're not feeling well or are troubled. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your understanding of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.