A message from Siobhan Farrell . . .

I am writing to introduce myself and the book I plan to write, which will be a compilation of first-person stories of people with loudness and pain hyperacusis, with the working title Hyperacusis Heroes: Making Your Voice Heard When Every Sound Hurts.

As you know, people with hyperacusis are the real experts about our condition. We provide information and support to each other because we are often more knowledgeable than health professionals we have gone to for diagnoses and treatments. Like many chronic conditions which are not well understood and/or invisible, mental health issues are often their go-to diagnoses.

We are fortunate today that with several online communities, we are better able to connect with others who share our condition and who can validate our own subjective experiences. What I have discovered is that unlike many other disabilities and chronic conditions, there are no anthologies or collections of personal stories published about hyperacusis. I decided, as a writer, I could write a book, bringing together people’s stories to help educate the public and the medical community about the pain and loudness hyperacusis communities.

In terms of my writing background, I have published poetry and nonfiction. I have had tinnitus and hyperacusis for four years and have woven some of my experiences into some of those pieces.

Book Content

I am asking people to write something as long or short as they want. Nonetheless, I am providing several suggestions and guidelines, which are explained below.

Stories should be about you as a whole person, not just about your hyperacusis. That will make your story more interesting.

if you do not include every detail of your journey, instead you could focus on a few themes that best capture your experiences. Some examples include writing about your relationships, impact on employment, problems with the medical system, what you have learned along the way, including about yourself or a combination which demonstrates how hyperacusis has impacted your life.

Decide on your goals in telling your story: What do you want the reader to learn and come away with? What is the core message or lesson you want to convey about your experience?

Explore the emotional impact. Include the difficult emotions associated with your condition, such as fear, anger, frustration, or hope.

Use relevant anecdotes. Include specific examples and details that illustrate your experiences and emotions.

Other considerations: Are friends and family aware you are writing your story? How will they feel? Will it affect your employment?

I am hoping to include 30-40 stories in the book.

a) Compiling the book – I would love to do spoken interviews, but unfortunately my hyperacusis is severe, so I am asking you to submit to me your story in an email with your attached document. I will follow up with Zoom meetings where I could write in chat, and writers can either also talk in chat or speak and I can read their closed captions. The purpose would be to clarify points in the story and make suggestions, not to change your story but to make sure it is the best it can be.

b) Writers will have to sign a consent form to make sure everything is okay with you providing your work.

Please share this request with others you know. I will be using different sites to connect with people, but the wider we cast the net, the more successful this project will be.

c) Please send any questions, concerns, or suggestions to me as soon as possible so we can get started. My email address is siobhan.farrell@yahoo.com.

The tentative deadline to submit stories is November 30th, 2025.