I can't help but hold them in. I used to be able to produce a full, loud, relieving sneeze as a young kid, but my dad thought it was performative or somehow fake. I realized recently that's probably why I stifle every single one now and have for >30 years. This post actually scares me.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Hah, I have the same type of sneeze. Someone once told me they don't believe I can have such an "archetypical" sneeze. It still blows my mind that some children were traumatized so much for this, they learned to instinctively suppress their sneezes. Of all the things to get upset about ffs...

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Sneeze loud and proud my friend, let the whole world know you have an irritated sinus!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

You don't understand. I'm the same way and it's completely reflexive. I can't choose to, I automatically suppress it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago

Well hopefully one day your subconscious lets you sneeze with deafening power, it's amazing.

I will sneeze extra loud in honour of the silent sneezers!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago

This made me think of mirror therapy… wonder if you could recondition by watching a video of somebody sneezing simultaneously. Sounds like a dumb suggestion, writing it out, but if it doesn’t you could bookmark a video and throw it on your phone home screen.

Hopefully you’re a “pro” now and that’s enough to avoid eardrum ruptures, vertigo, ruptured eye blood vessels! 😬