I'm so happy for you! I rarely check this forum anymore, as my story is very similar to yours. I never posted my recovery story, although I might.
Some months ago a story like this would have helped me to feel a bit more calm. And now, I still appreciate it, nevertheless, so thanks ☺️
If I find it hard to fall asleep (from the beginning or after waking up in the middle of the night) I tell to myself that it doesn't matter how much I sleep... And that makes the trick for me, and I sleep more and better ;)
Like many here, I used a benzo a few times and a Z drug as well as other types. But now I only take valerian root and GABA. That said, my sleep got much better since I got more relaxed in general, I did CBTi, I take a ssri and in general I try not to put pressure on sleep.
Here's another infantile or gullible user :p Of course not all therapies work for everybody, but calling names is definitely not good.
CBT alone helped me but it was not totally effective, I needed an SSRI and other type of psychological therapies to combine it with. In other words, CBT is one...
Since I got tinnitus, I also started to notice how often authors use this expression, mostly when characters are anxious. So far only one book mentioned that a character actually had tinnitus, and oh what a surprise... The author has it too.
When I was depressed mornings were the hardest part of the day, I totally understand you. Taking a ssri and working again (from home) has really helped me to feel better mentally. I hope you can find something that helps you soon.
It's great to read you are doing better mentally, and I wish everything will keep improving for you!
It's a bit easier to feel better in Spring, right? ☺️
I'm so sorry to hear that! I fainted or had my blood pressure to drop way down since I got T, and it sucks :/
Do you enjoy cooking? That was one of the first activities I noticed would distract me from my T. And maybe it would help you become hungrier? Just an idea ☺️
But drinking water is very...
You said it, it just seems, it's not the reality. I used to think about my tinnitus and visual snow almost all the time as well, but now it's less often and not so negatively. It's more like "Ugh, those symptoms, well... It is what it is" and I move on. You will reach that stage with time too ☺️
It can also get better. Going the route of the negative what-ifs won't help you. We have risks of bad things happening all the time, in regards of anything, but you can't go living in fear and avoiding things all the time.
It's good to take precautions and know your limitations, of course, but...
You are stronger than you think you are. Tinnitus is very hard to measure, and it's also so hard to know what triggers the spikes. If Zoloft helps your anxiety keep taking it. If it's making T to spike there chances it calms down again, it happened to some people. I think Lexapro did some weird...
You are also strong. Most of us had or still have those thoughts. In my opinion, the difference comes when you challenge them, when you don't listen to them. For that there are many techniques.
Hopefully @PDodge will reply to you, but what I have seen in many stories of habituation is that it comes in stages and you have setbacks. Probably they weren't suffering everyday during those 4 years, they had good days and other days were not so good, until approximately 4 years later their...
Glad to hear you are challenging a "What if". It was hard for me to start a ssri as well. I hope everything goes well for you. A combination of ssri with therapy can really help, but it takes time.
Great question, and if @linearb still had them when he was part of the trial, I would like to know if the device had some effect on his eye sight (it would be a dream come true if the device not only helped tinnitus but also visual snow syndrome symptoms).
I agree with @SamRosemary, mental health is not lineal and you actually get better very slowly. You'll probably have setbacks, it's normal. Celebrate every win, even being able to get out of bed. Going to therapy is a big win!
It won't necessarily get worse as you get older. Read successful stories and not other type of post (don't even read the comments after the original post). That said, what helps me is not focusing in my symptoms getting better or not, but in my mood... Doing the things I can still do that I...
Hi! I read some of your posts about visual snow and you seemed very positive about it improving with time, which I think it's the best attitude. I just wonder how are you today? I hope your VS is gone, or that at least you can ignore it easily.
I hope your return to work is smooth and stress-free ☺️
I also returned to my job lately, it's somewhat uncomfortable but my life feels more normal now, which is what I want.
I live in Dublin, but I'm not Irish, I'm one of the many expats living here.
I haven't visited much of Wicklow yet, just Bray and Greystones (very pretty walk!).
Btw, here we can use Borrowbox for free to listen to audiobooks, it's very good.
I listen to them on speaker using my phone. If the quality of your phone's speaker is not good for, you there are better speakers you can connect your phone to.
I think this woman has a great attitude towards life. I think of her very often when I'm down about my tinnitus and visual snow (she's deaf blind, and yet keeps enjoying life!).
I don't know if audiobooks would be an option for you (depends on the type of your tinnitus), but in my case I have been enjoying them a lot more than actual reading lately. While I listen to them, I do arts and crafts, or just relax before going to sleep.
Maybe you could give them a go.