Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.

One young woman hopes for being with her loved ones this Christmas, but notes a key strategy she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - notably for Christmas dinner.

For the 23-year-old, Christmas can be a notably tough time as the noises of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily make her feel extremely uncomfortable.

"I experience this sensation of immediate anxiety, my every muscle will just tense up and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these noises."

The individual has experienced this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".

Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, especially noises coming from those around you.

It is prevalent in the UK. A study reported almost one in five people are affected by it.

Typically it's noises associated with bodily functions that lead to discomfort, along with things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.

A Source of Dread

She explains: "You encounter so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you fear it.

"My family are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to ensure the event goes smoothly."

So it's obvious why the traditionally happy period can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for sufferers.

Noises that may seem harmless, like someone sipping a beverage, unwrapping gifts, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a visceral feeling that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.

The student, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, says the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to cope. On any other day, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to avoid distressing triggers.

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

"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and immediately start crying and then the stress response will activate.

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

Several Strategies to Manage

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

1. Picture an Alternative: Imagination is essential. Try to associate the specific noise bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
2. Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a game with the culprit. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly have a go at joining in. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an engaged person. And the competition element should help shift your attention and make you a little less affected.
3. Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone making the noise is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not in good health or maybe they're upset. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your reaction of it shifts from being irritating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate about it.