Christmas Can Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.

Lottie is looking forward to spending time with her loved ones this Christmas, but admits a key strategy she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - especially during the main festive feast.

For her, this time of year is a notably tough period as the sounds of people eating, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel profound anxiety.

"I get this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just freeze and it seems as if I'm in peril, and I need to stop these sounds."

She has experienced this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the Christmas time "incredibly overwhelming".

Misophonia is a reduced tolerance to particular auditory triggers, especially noises coming from other people.

It is prevalent amongst adults. Experts found a significant portion of people suffer from it.

Typically it's noises connected to bodily functions that lead to discomfort, as well as examples such as crunching, heavy breathing, and pen clicking.

A Source of Dread

The sufferer notes: "I face so many different triggering sounds at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.

"My family are aware, but I'm very aware 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 supposedly joyous season can quickly turn into a source of agony for those with the condition.

Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or enjoying festive food can trigger a visceral feeling that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.

Jenna, a young adult, who has experienced sound sensitivity from childhood, explains her strategy is to listen to music to manage the meal. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a different room to avoid problematic noises.

She says her sensitivity is worse around people she's most familiar with, so the holidays is always "challenging".

"There's an expectation to socialize with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"It's like this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and burst into tears and then fight-or-flight will activate.

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

Several Strategies to Cope

If you suffer then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, according to experts.

1. Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound affecting you with an unrelated image. As an illustration, try to envision someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound affecting you is neutral.
2. Use Humor: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the person. For example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt joining in. Through participation, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the game aspect should help redirect your focus and make you slightly more tolerant.
3. Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. So if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not in good health or maybe they're upset. The idea is re-framing the context of the sound. While the sound stays the same, your understanding of it moves from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.