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I’m certain that anxiety is a major factor in causing tinnitus spikes for me. So, focusing on reducing anxiety is key, though it can be challenging. I have some beliefs that might resonate with others—one being that my tinnitus worsens with excessive use of digital devices. Since my tinnitus...

I keep a folder of stories from Tinnitus Talk that help me get through the rough times. I just added your post to that folder and appreciate so much that you shared your story.

Yes - I have had a spike that lasted a long time. And I understand your worry for sure. I'm a practicing Zen Buddhist who isn't very enlightened :) but I've been encouraged to develop some radical acceptance of what seems unacceptable. "Some" is the operative word -- it's not always easy to...

I hear you. I wish others would respond; I'd like to hear other takes on this issue. I think there's a direct correlation between anxiety and tinnitus spikes. There are just times when things fall apart, such as health and relationships, and the tinnitus seems like a cry for help or an alarm...

Anxiety isn't the cause of tinnitus, but in my humble opinion it contributes to the persistence of tinnitus. People who are more likely to obsess and focus on the sound suffer more and can perceive it as louder. There are plenty of people with hearing loss who don't suffer from tinnitus or are...

Drugs can give a huge relief. We shouldn't malign ourselves for taking them. We're lucky to have something to help. Other things that help me are tennis (when I'm on the court, miraculously I don't hear the t and it is way lower until I get in the car and check in with it - sigh). In the...

These spikes are scary and create a loop -- whatever the trigger was to the spike, the spike itself becomes a trigger to more anxiety; and I believe that anxiety is a huge part of the tinnitus story. Like you, I also try to stop the loop by taking what I consider a "no-no" drug -- to at least...

Thank you!

And like Jori, I would also like to be able to contact you. I couldn't see a way of contacting you privately on your profile page.

Thank you for this clear and helpful reflection of what many of us are experiencing. To me the issue is anxiety. When I come back to this forum, I know that I'm falling in the hole of dread again. I only view success stories, which is what brought me to this thread and I'm grateful for what...

Good points - I use my two brothers because we're in the same gene pool, so it gives me hope that my T can go away. But my sister and another brother have loud T and aren't bothered by it. I can't deny my own experience that when I'm able to focus on something besides myself and when I am...

I want to add that when I asked brother #1 a few years ago if he had tinnitus he thought for a minute and said, "I think I heard some ringing in my ears for a while, but it went away. o_O

I come and go on this forum because sometimes I need the support it offers and sometimes I need to stay away from any obsession with tinnitus. I'm here to simply ask why some people, such as my 78 year old brother with severe hearing loss, don't experience tinnitus as a problem ( in his case...

I'm so grateful for this thread. I've had some remarkably quiet days and then periods when the tinnitus seems unbearable. I believe that dealing with tinnitus in the way that Aly wrote about and in the way that many wise people on these forums have mentioned is ultimately a path that's about a...

I'll summarize my experience first for those of you who don't know me, doing so with a slightly different spin now that I've been a "student" of tinnitus since March 2015. Before that I had T for decades - a mild form I hardly ever noticed except after loud concerts and when I tuned in for...

@Lorac Thank you so much for your post. I'm having a difficult day and came on this site for some comfort and you gave it to me - enough to keep on keeping on.

Forgive us for being very weary and very much not wanting to continue the loop of hope and despair. I have come to realize that relief from tinnitus is a very personal journey requiring a diligent (not desperate) kindness to one's self, and sometime that includes not snapping up the next promise...

Yes -- cynicism is indeed part of the tinnitus experience because we've been spammed so often. We are legitimately wary of the way this forum is used to sell things to desperate people.

According to my shrink, a lot of my inability to cope with tinnitus is connected to a difficult relationship. He wants me to try to get comfort from a very depressed partner. And the idea of splitting up makes me crazy both because I love my partner and because I don't want to abandon him...

This thread and all your positive messages are calming me and my T. What a gift! I'm a year into the spike that has put me through the ringer (haha). It's been rough and I've gone through a lot of "cures" and therapies. When I stopped being desperate for a cure, I began to learn lessons I...

I get it! I'm not there yet, but I totally get this and so appreciate you saying it. Yes, it's odd to accept (even embrace!) something that seems so unacceptable. And it even seems impossible to do. But it isn't. I believe it takes letting go of attachment to me and my desires for crazy stuff --...

I'm not sure how long I've had tinnitus. I think I first noticed it some time in my 20's. That was over 40 years ago. But I barely noticed it. I just knew I had it. A spike last March brought it to the forefront and it's been blaring ever since then -- on and off, lately more on. I wasn't...

I've gotta ask -- what are the four pillars? Okay -- never mind -- I found your list in another post. Looks interesting -- I was on the Atkins diet many years ago, which sounds similar.

Well, yes -- it's a challenge to overcome. Many days I'm a warrior, but I do suffer. I get into fight or flight mode, crying or enraged. Over and over again I pull myself up and get on with my day, but often I come back to a dark and scary response to the noises I hear. I often feel very much...

I've been dipping in and out of this site since April of this year. There have been times when I felt that it was better not to participate, and then times when I felt that I had to join the voices of people who understand T's impact on our lives. I've told myself to stop looking for a cure and...

I tapered off of benzos after a very long dependency and it was definitely hard. I've been completely off of them for a year and a half. I'm glad I'm off of them for sure, but I understand your spikes in anxiety and the suicidal thoughts. But even in the midst of the fear and what seems to be...

Yes, this is a slow process, like any fitness training that reshapes the body. As I've said (ad nauseum) my Zen practice is right in line with this, as is some of the newest science about brain plasticity and rewiring the brain, such as Dr. Norman Dodge's books. The latest one has some case...

This is profound stuff on many levels, but it isn't a quick fix. It's not a pill, and I got into trouble wanting the quick fix pill. After getting off of benzos, I got to a point where I truly realized that my only hope was intensive commitment to my zen practice, which is really just a Japanese...

I started on this forum with (and sometimes fall back into) a hope that I could permanently reduce the sounds in my head. All my desperation has done for me is increase the anxiety. And anxiety is really what the suffering is all about. Now I'm trying to just treat the anxiety. This has given me...

I'm sorry that you're going through this. You sound like me -- trying to see the positive side of things, but it's so hard after a relentless and exhausting bout with sleeplessness and health scares. It's completely understandable that you took klonipin, as I did. But, yes, in the long run...

“You know, Hobbes, some days even my lucky rocket ship underpants don't help.” ― Bill Watterson

Because of allergies (it's a typical windy spring in New Mexico) I had one of my nasty sinus headaches today. I lay around increasingly feeling sorry for myself : scared and angry. I haven't gone to the gym or for a walk in several days. I've let my meditation practice lag. And guess what - the...

Wonderful post, linearb -- I'm a long time meditator -- almost became a Zen nun. After decades of mild tinnitus, a recent tinnitus spike has really challenged my samadhi! I began to feel defeated and pitiful, but I never stopped sitting and had to admit that meditation was a way to sit with...

Wahashore: Thank you for this post. I think that some of the desperation I and others feel about a cure just makes things worse. I feel I need to stop surfing this site for the next miracle cure. I am trying some things that seem like reputable possibilities, but I am my healthiest when I let go...

I've been a meditator for about 40 years - mainly Zen Buddhism. I recently went to my first long retreat -- over a month -- in extreme silence. For the first time in my life, my tinnitus has spiked almost intolerably, which is why I found this forum. I don't know whether it was bad before the...

Yes, the most important thing is to be kind to yourself, not judging no matter what you need to do. Life is hard; the human condition is hard. We need to give ourselves a break for doing what we need to do to get through tough times. It also helps to know that we're not alone in these struggles...

Okay -- I'm new to this forum, with much gratitude for no longer feeling so alone. I am now a little over a year getting off of benzos completely. I tapered for six months before that. It's a hard, hard road. While tapering and recovering I did therapy to look at the underlying cause of my...

I am new here and so glad to read this thread. It's exactly what I needed. Thank you all.