I am posting this because I have a very specific problem relating to my tinnitus, which I have been struggling with for almost 6 years now, and have still not managed to properly deal with it.
Description of the problem:
When I hear my tinnitus, which is sharp, high pitched, and erratic, I start to get anxiety. It's that simple. I hear the tinnitus, anxiety builds up, my muscles start to tighten, particularly around my neck and jaw, as well as a sinking feeling in my gut, and other anxiety related symptoms and problems.
Techniques/tools I am doing that help (but do not remedy the problem):
Anti-anxiety medication
Masking with crickets
Distraction with activities
Belly breathing
Effects of the problem:
This seriously affects my quality of life. Every single day I struggle with trying to keep my anxiety levels down. Once anxiety starts to build, it basically lingers there for long periods and it is difficult to calm myself down.
My sleep is seriously impacted, I am currently unable to sleep without the help of anti-anxiety medication, sleep medication, and masking.
I am lucky that I have flexible work hours, otherwise I would not be able to hold down my job. If at any time I am required to take a job without flexible hours, or if I lose my access to prescription anti-anxiety medication, my sleeping problems alone would make practically any employment impossible.
My concentration is also impacted, and my tolerance for stressful situations in general has been greatly reduced.
All of my symptoms and problems associated with my anxiety reaction to my tinnitus are getting gradually worse with time, not better.
It makes it very difficult in a very competitive world where I am forced to compete with healthy people, and the same expectations that are placed on healthy people are placed on me.
I see the prospect of getting disability for this condition as being slim, since it is mostly "subjective" and therefore I may not be able to provide enough "medical evidence".
What I am asking you:
Do you have any specific techniques or tools that can be used to reduce or remove my anxiety reaction to my tinnitus?
What I am NOT interested in:
I am not interested in what I will call "vague delegation". Vague delegation involves not providing any practical solution that can be followed, but rather delegating the problem to someone else, or directing me to some other source, often a vague one which will require more additional research on my part, research that likely will not lead me to a solution anyway.
Examples of vague delegation include:
1] Go see a therapist
No therapist I have been to has been able to provide any techniques.
I have already been to psychiatrists and psychologists, they provide no meaningful help other than prescription medication.
I have already been to audiologists, they provide no meaningful help beyond providing masking devices (which has helped, but masking only goes so far, and I cannot have it on all the time).
If there is some other type of professional you insist I must see, please be specific, and it must be outside the realm of Freudian psychiatry.
2] Go read this book
If you insist that I read a book, provide at least one example of a technique outlined in the book AND a clear description that I allows me to try the technique first, without opening the book.
3] Go do CBT
I have done a lot of research on CBT, and my opinion is that once you break down the confusing descriptions of it, it boils down to forcing yourself to think positively, which has done nothing to fix my problem, and has often backfired and resulted only in frustration.
If you insist that I do CBT, you have to explain to me in very specific terms what I have to do, please do not tell me to go study some vague article about it.
4] Go do diet and exercise
Be specific about what type of diet I should be on, or what type of exercises I should be doing. I already do moderate exercise and have made adjustments to my diet.
Other things I am NOT interested in:
1] Platitudes
Phrases like "it will get better", "be grateful", "others have it worse".
2] Empathy
Please don't feel the need to feel sorry for me. It's my problem I have to deal with it. I don't want sympathy or empathy, I just want a real solution to my problem.
3] Victim blaming
This might take the form of "you need to change your attitude", "you need to be more positive", "you need to keep trying the things you've already tried and try harder this time"
4] Arguments regarding "vague delegation"
I am not interested in a philosophical discussion or debate on how my refusal to accept "vague delegation" as an appropriate solution to my problem is unfair or unreasonable. If you think I am being unreasonable, then please move on to another thread, thank you.
What I AM interested in:
1] A clear description of a technique or device that I can attempt within a reasonable time frame to reduce or remove my anxiety reaction to my tinnitus.
2] Having a technique that might not work.
It is perfectly fine if the technique doesn't work. Actually, it can be extremely bizarre, as long the description is clear enough that I can follow it within a reasonable time frame. As long as it doesn't fit the description of "vague delegation", then I am interested in hearing it.
Summary:
My experiences in the past with both tinnitus forums and professionals require me to provide a lengthy description of the types of responses I don't want to hear. I want to get better, I am want to get help, but it has to be something concrete that I can actually try, not something vague or philosophical. Thank you for understanding.
Description of the problem:
When I hear my tinnitus, which is sharp, high pitched, and erratic, I start to get anxiety. It's that simple. I hear the tinnitus, anxiety builds up, my muscles start to tighten, particularly around my neck and jaw, as well as a sinking feeling in my gut, and other anxiety related symptoms and problems.
Techniques/tools I am doing that help (but do not remedy the problem):
Anti-anxiety medication
Masking with crickets
Distraction with activities
Belly breathing
Effects of the problem:
This seriously affects my quality of life. Every single day I struggle with trying to keep my anxiety levels down. Once anxiety starts to build, it basically lingers there for long periods and it is difficult to calm myself down.
My sleep is seriously impacted, I am currently unable to sleep without the help of anti-anxiety medication, sleep medication, and masking.
I am lucky that I have flexible work hours, otherwise I would not be able to hold down my job. If at any time I am required to take a job without flexible hours, or if I lose my access to prescription anti-anxiety medication, my sleeping problems alone would make practically any employment impossible.
My concentration is also impacted, and my tolerance for stressful situations in general has been greatly reduced.
All of my symptoms and problems associated with my anxiety reaction to my tinnitus are getting gradually worse with time, not better.
It makes it very difficult in a very competitive world where I am forced to compete with healthy people, and the same expectations that are placed on healthy people are placed on me.
I see the prospect of getting disability for this condition as being slim, since it is mostly "subjective" and therefore I may not be able to provide enough "medical evidence".
What I am asking you:
Do you have any specific techniques or tools that can be used to reduce or remove my anxiety reaction to my tinnitus?
What I am NOT interested in:
I am not interested in what I will call "vague delegation". Vague delegation involves not providing any practical solution that can be followed, but rather delegating the problem to someone else, or directing me to some other source, often a vague one which will require more additional research on my part, research that likely will not lead me to a solution anyway.
Examples of vague delegation include:
1] Go see a therapist
No therapist I have been to has been able to provide any techniques.
I have already been to psychiatrists and psychologists, they provide no meaningful help other than prescription medication.
I have already been to audiologists, they provide no meaningful help beyond providing masking devices (which has helped, but masking only goes so far, and I cannot have it on all the time).
If there is some other type of professional you insist I must see, please be specific, and it must be outside the realm of Freudian psychiatry.
2] Go read this book
If you insist that I read a book, provide at least one example of a technique outlined in the book AND a clear description that I allows me to try the technique first, without opening the book.
3] Go do CBT
I have done a lot of research on CBT, and my opinion is that once you break down the confusing descriptions of it, it boils down to forcing yourself to think positively, which has done nothing to fix my problem, and has often backfired and resulted only in frustration.
If you insist that I do CBT, you have to explain to me in very specific terms what I have to do, please do not tell me to go study some vague article about it.
4] Go do diet and exercise
Be specific about what type of diet I should be on, or what type of exercises I should be doing. I already do moderate exercise and have made adjustments to my diet.
Other things I am NOT interested in:
1] Platitudes
Phrases like "it will get better", "be grateful", "others have it worse".
2] Empathy
Please don't feel the need to feel sorry for me. It's my problem I have to deal with it. I don't want sympathy or empathy, I just want a real solution to my problem.
3] Victim blaming
This might take the form of "you need to change your attitude", "you need to be more positive", "you need to keep trying the things you've already tried and try harder this time"
4] Arguments regarding "vague delegation"
I am not interested in a philosophical discussion or debate on how my refusal to accept "vague delegation" as an appropriate solution to my problem is unfair or unreasonable. If you think I am being unreasonable, then please move on to another thread, thank you.
What I AM interested in:
1] A clear description of a technique or device that I can attempt within a reasonable time frame to reduce or remove my anxiety reaction to my tinnitus.
2] Having a technique that might not work.
It is perfectly fine if the technique doesn't work. Actually, it can be extremely bizarre, as long the description is clear enough that I can follow it within a reasonable time frame. As long as it doesn't fit the description of "vague delegation", then I am interested in hearing it.
Summary:
My experiences in the past with both tinnitus forums and professionals require me to provide a lengthy description of the types of responses I don't want to hear. I want to get better, I am want to get help, but it has to be something concrete that I can actually try, not something vague or philosophical. Thank you for understanding.
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