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

Lottie hopes for being with her loved ones over the holidays, but says a primary method she'll manage to get through it is by relying on her earplugs - especially during the main festive feast.

In her case, the holidays can be a especially challenging time as the auditory triggers of people eating, sipping loudly and sniffling cause her extremely uncomfortable.

"There's this feeling of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it feels like I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to stop these noises."

She has lived with sound sensitivity for several years and for her that makes the holiday period "deeply taxing".

Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, particularly those coming from other people.

It's surprisingly common across the population. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people are affected by it.

Typically it's noises associated with bodily functions that cause distress, as well as examples such as chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.

'Anxiety Inducing'

Lottie says: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be stressful and make you fear it.

"Those close to me are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to make sure everyone else is happy."

So it's obvious why the supposedly joyous time of the year can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for those with the condition.

Sounds that may be considered normal, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can provoke a powerful reaction that can even cause them avoiding social settings altogether.

Jenna, a university student, who has struggled with sound sensitivity for over a decade, explains her strategy is to listen to music to cope. Typically, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to avoid distressing triggers.

She notes her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "hard".

"People assume you to be around family, and I desire to, but it's exhausting on all levels.

"I feel as if this uncontrollable anger comes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will kick in.

"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain without firsthand experience."

A Few Techniques to Handle It

For those affected then there are some different techniques you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.

1. Imagine Something Else: Creative thinking is key. Work on connecting the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. By doing this is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you poses no threat.
2. Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. For example, if someone is eating noisily try mimicking the sound. By mimicking, rather than feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you somewhat less sensitive.
3. Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to create a little story about why the person creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. By doing this is changing the meaning of the sound. While the noise doesn't change, your interpretation of it moves from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral towards it.