Post-traumatic stress from weeks of honking is a temporary 'mild trauma,' psychologist says.
I'm not kidding, that's the way this article actually starts.
People are seriously experiencing post-traumatic stress over the January trucker convoy in Ottawa.
Some Ottawa residents say they're left haunted by the sound of blaring horns, even though no horns are actually blaring.
Honestly, how do you even parody this?
It's beyond parody, so I'm just going to continue to quote from the article, because the CBC kinda does my job for me here.
"When you hear that noise, it's like, 'Oh, are they back? Is there a road convoy coming back, right?'" said Sean Flynn, who lives about three kilometres from downtown but could still hear the horns inside his home during the protests.
Unreal.
These people are actually traumatized.
And I…
Well, I just can't...
Flynn isn't alone. Downtown resident Zakir Virani said he hears phantom honking, too, usually at night, which keeps him awake.
"It's hard to explain because I think with any post-traumatic stress-induced thinking, it's not very rational. You're not actually hearing honking," he said, adding he experiences "constant on-edgeness" and "fear" any time he steps outside since the protests.
"It's not good for anyone to feel that way."
And don't worry you guys, it's not just the citizens who think they're traumatized, there are psychologists involved.
Dr Peter Liu, an Ottawa-based clinical psychologist, said it's possible people who hear phantom honking are experiencing a "mild trauma."
"These sounds become sort of embedded in mind, kind of like the way trauma leads to flashbacks," said Liu. "Even long after this has happened, the brain is still in a hyper-vigilant state and expects more honking."
So let's get this straight, folks: due to the fact that people were protesting in Ottawa—jumping around in bouncy houses, bathing in hot tubs, and honking their horns—the citizens of Ottawa are now extremely stressed out, feeling as if horns are still honking in the streets.
And it's super scary!
The psychologist even says this could impact Ottawans' sleep.
When people can't sleep, it leads to anxiety and exhaustion, with the possibility of developing into depression or memory problems.
What a joke!!
Luckily for Ottawans, this will soon pass.
"It is temporary and it will always fade with time," Liu said of the phantom honking. In the meantime, he recommended trying to sleep in a different location, even if it's just in another room, listening to music, or putting on white noise before bed.
If the problem continues, he said people shouldn't hesitate to reach out to a doctor or mental health professional.
It just makes me wonder how bad the stress would've been if they'd experienced one of those "mostly peaceful" BLM protests back in the summer of 2020.
Because that would've been stressful.
I just want to reiterate, though: this is a real article from the CBC, and you should take it very, very seriously.
Dumb.
Just dumb.
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