‘Still Wearing A Hat Syndrome’ or SWAHS (pronounced sw-a-z) is a physiological and psychological reaction to a continuous stimulus that is abruptly removed after a period of time resulting in the sufferer believing themselves to still be subject to that stimulus. The classic example of this affliction is when you’ve been wearing a hat all day – perhaps a beanie hat or a top hat – and you remove it. For a considerable period of time you will still feel like you’re wearing your fashionable headgear and will be surprised to find that when you go to straighten your hat that it is no longer there. The short period of confusion that inevitably follows is termed ‘Still Wearing A Hat Syndrome’.
The following pictures of a person afflicted with SWAHS show the devastating confusion that can result from Sudden Hat Removal (SHR) – one of the main causes of SWAHS. To the left they are wearing a hat and are content, but with the hat removed in the second picture the subject is confused and disoriented. These pictures were taken under laboratory conditions with a team of medical staff on standby to deal with any complications. No Scotsmen were harmed during the making of this illustration:
For many years mainstream scientists didn’t accept that SWAHS really existed preferring to blame other factors on those who claimed to be suffering from it – such as them being stupid. However in recent times the very real problems that SWAHS has caused people has pushed it into the forefront of medical research and is now widely recognised by the scientific community as fact.
However there are many people who suffer from acute SWAHS – often brought on by SHR – but have never heard of the condition and remain undiagnosed. If you believe you may be suffering from this condition and would like some help and support in coping with it then don’t panic – you are not alone! Leave a comment at the end of this post and one of the expert staff from the “John Conners Still Wearing A Hat Syndrome Foundation” will contact you and ensure that you get the help you need.
Remember, SWAHS is real and understanding the condition is the first step to conquering it!
My friend Craig must of had that! He even slept in his hat!!! haha
To funny.. but is very real I am Suffering from S.W.A.H.S as we speak and need assistance
i have the same problem and when it happens i hear voices in my head
I could have this i think can you contact me. Iv worn a hat for twenty years im 36
If you don’t suffer from SWAHS yourself it’s a safe bet that you know somebody who does! 😉
Oh he was a serious case! If you pulled the hat off his head he would go mental and start hitting you! (I’d like to say I’m joking but I’m not!)
Watch out for SHR on bears in ill-fitting hats!
A quite dangerous endeavour indeed!
Ha ha, I can’t believe some of the groups on Flickr! 🙂
I think in the case of bears that would be considered acute Sudden Hat Removal and is often fatal!
OMIGOD! SWAHS is a googlewack!
A little-known but devastating fact about SWAHS is that sufferers tend to experience a wide range of similar, but related conditions. Classic examples of this include ‘SWSS’ (Still Wearing Socks’ syndrome, or ‘Still Wearing Sunglasses’ syndrome, to name but two.
Don’t feel alone, help is at hand!!
I just googled this because I have SWS. And I was only wearing them for about half an hour
You’re absolutely right, SWAHS can come in many forms – some of them definitely un-hat-related. I’m glad that awareness of this problem is growing!
I found this site because just a few moments ago I felt like I was wearing a hat but I never wears hats because of a phobia from when I was a child so I began searching the web to see if this happens to others. Actually it still feels like I’m wearing one. I have tried combing and recombing my hair. I’ve tried fluffing it but it doesn’t do any good. I have a lot of psychological promblems. I guess this is just another. I’ll talk to my therapist next session. Thanks for being here.
[…] googling said phenomenon, all I really came across was this page, which ironically enough was written by a guy from Fife, Scotland, where my sexy man hails […]
I have had a case of SWAHS for the last 6 days. Make it stop!! There must be some medication 🙁
I am so glad that I am not crazy!!! Asked many Dr.s about it and they had never heard of it. I have it with glasses and if I push my sleeves up on my arms and then pull them down. Just a thought–does anyone who has this have Fibromyalgia?
I thought it was all in my head. Live on an AZ ranch & hats r a must! When I go 2 bed still feel like it’s on for hrs! This is vry real. No pain jst pressure &irritating 😩
I do!
I thought I was going mad yes I have it , specially when I’ve had epileptic seizures I keep on grabing my head thinking I’ve got to take my hat off or glasses off.
I have the same thing but after I wear sunglasses for long time, is that normal? Does SWASS exist?
Love it! I was going mental today when I got back from Kentuky. I wore my sunglasses on my head so much that today I feel like I’m still wearing them.
I feel like I have sunglasses sitting on my head, not my face. Just the arms going to my ears. I only wear sunglasses twice a year
Sometime ago I wore a cap for 12 hours straight. It’s been two days and I still feel it on my head. This ghost hat is haunting me for leaving it at home. Please, send help.
I have been having this off and on for years. Right now it has come back and is worse than ever. I thought it might be that my blood pressure was getting high. But it feels heavier that a regular hat and it makes my head feel sore. If I touch my head I feel light headed as if it is going away. It is really a scary feeling.
I have SWAHS, or in my case, SWMC, Still Wearing my CPAP. I wear this contraption on my nose when I sleep in order to keep breathing, and I feel all the next day as if I’m still wearing it.
I Have this condition. I also have misophonia. I have multiple sensory disorders. I have learned to deal with my irritations. I have come a long way and have more understanding now. Thanks to articles like this one.
Just started feeling this today. Not freaking out about it. Just had a hat on for about 2 hours. It is at least 5 hours since I took it off. I still feel as though I am wearing it. What is going on.?
What does it mean if you have never wore a hat but it feels like you have a hat on?
How common is this syndrome? I have begun to feel this the past few weeks. It feels like the pressure of a hand on the head. My doc doesn’t know anything about this.
I ended up here because I was Googling ‘why do I find it hard to remove a hat I’ve been wearing all day’. I get a kind of sensory panic that I can’t stand the thought of it being lifted off my head. My husband sometimes grabs it off and I experience severe SHR and lose my mind! I could honestly lash out when he does this.
Anyway…pleased I’m not alone in my hat related woes.
I have this condition for 2 days going on 3 i hope this is no big joke. because i think it is something more than that. This is not fun. I am wondering if it has to do with LED lighting.
I’m a 63 year woman and I’ve apparently got it. Every time I wear a hat even for a short time it feels like I still have it on … I thought it was just me…
My head feels numb every time I take my hat off. I can’t be without it it’s a scary feeling it affects my thinking and my legs even feel wired
Only happens after I come in after mowing the lawn. I am going to get my wife to start mowing the lawn. That is how I will treat it.