Why my girlfriend had to whisper when she was shouting at me
Singer-songwriter Chris Singleton suffered from a rare medical condition. By John Meagher
Monday June 07 2010
Chris Singleton knew there was something very wrong when he found going to the toilet difficult. The noise of a flush was, for him, as loud as someone using a pneumatic drill.
Other everyday sounds to cause the Dublin singer-songwriter extreme pain were espresso machines and telephone ringtones. Even the hiss of his shower or the high-pitched voice of a friend would cause him considerable distress.
"It started with the sensation of a 'fullness' in my ears, a bit like the experience you might have after swimming," he says. "Then, within weeks, the most commonplace noises were becoming excruciating."
Chris didn't know it at the time, but he was suffering from hyperacusis -- a rare aural condition, that is characterised by an increased sensitivity to the sounds that most people are able to tolerate.
"I suffered from it for the best part of a year," the 32-year-old says, "and it affected every aspect of my life. I had moved to London to be with my girlfriend, Emma, and it put a real strain on our relationship. I was angry and irritable all the time and she would have to tip-toe around me. During arguments, we would have to whisper rather than shout."
With doctor after doctor failing to diagnose the problem, Chris imagined that he would be permanently disabled. "I was very freaked out by it. I took to wearing earplugs in all kinds of situations, even something as simple as going to a restaurant. Someone once asked me if I was making a fashion statement."
The problem had a huge impact on his music. "There was one particularly embarrassing situation where my first album was being mixed at Abbey Road. Here I am in this amazing studio and I'm having to tell the engineer to turn down the volume. He looked at me like I had lost my mind."
All this time the search for a cure was proving fruitless. "Thanks to Google I worked out that what I was suffering from was hyperacusis. I eventually got to see a consultant who told me my diagnosis was correct but he wanted to prescribe me an anti-anxiety drug, which had very strong side effects. I really didn't want to go down this route."
His last resort was an appointment with the British National Health Service and it proved to the saviour he needed.
'They weren't interested in giving me drugs or putting me through a very expensive desensitisation programme. Instead, they gave me 'hearing therapy', which sounds mad, but proved to be hugely beneficial. I was told that hyperacusis can be caused through anxiety and often there is a moment that can trigger it, such as a loud, sudden noise. To this day I'm still not sure why I developed it."
His therapy would have swift results. "First, I was told to stop wearing ear plugs as they only made the situation worse and then I was advised not to worry about noises like I had been. I was reassured that I hadn't permanently damaged my hearing and that I could train myself to be relaxed around noise. Soon I was able to remix Twisted City [his debut album] to a reasonable level."
Today, five years later, Chris Singleton has recovered completely from the debilitating condition. "It's made me appreciate my hearing, that's for sure. I'm careful not to wear headphones that much and when I'm playing or at a gig I wear special musician's earplugs."
Now, with a follow-up album, Lady Gasoline, set to be released on June 25, things are looking up for the Dublin musician. "Music is so important to me and the thoughts of not being able to make music or to hear it again really upset me. I'm glad that I was able to get the help that I needed to return to normality. And I was lucky that my relationship with Emma survived too.
"It was," he chuckles, "a difficult time."
- John Meagher
Irish Independent
