Hey guys,
I'm going to post this and then leave this forum for good because there are too many people here with too much negativity, and I don't want to see it. I hope everyone gets well.
On March 31st, I blew too much pressure into my ears during a Valsalva maneuver, setting off my tinnitus. It also caused hyperacusis and slightly dulled and distorted hearing in my left ear. I'm a musician, so the thought of never playing music again scared me. Like most of us, I went online and saw all the same things: no cure, fasting advice, and all that stuff. Although there's no medical intervention that has cured me, I am about 80-85% better in just over two months.
Here's how I did it; this may not work for everyone, but I can only speak about what's worked for me.
First of all, remove anything unhelpful to tinnitus from your awareness. Clear your YouTube history if needed, get off the forum, and stay away from anyone who tells you it is forever. IT IS NOT FOREVER, AND YOU WILL GET BETTER. Not to throw shade, but a couple of people here made comments that made me extremely depressed and anxious when I was going through it at the start.
Secondly, for anyone with hyperacusis, stop wearing earplugs in environments where your ears are safe (doing dishes, watching TV, shopping centers). I hate to think how much time I spent negatively reinforcing my brain that my ears needed to be protected from everyday sounds. THEY DON'T! If you go to a concert, a shooting range, or use power tools, sure, use earplugs. That's sensible. But not around the house. Though I understand it won't be helpful in the long run.
Thirdly, I saw a lot of negative reviews of Julian Cowan Hill on here that kept me away from him for a while until I finally listened to him. I don't know him, I haven't paid for anything, all I've done is download his app, do the meditations, and take his advice. It's been extremely beneficial and probably saved my sanity and kickstarted my recovery. Try Craniosacral Therapy. The way I look at it, you can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars at audiologists, doctors, and ENTs, and they're all going to say the same old thing: "Learn to live with it." Or you could spend equal or less than that, in my situation, and actually get results. Give it a try; I urge you!
Fourthly, see your friends, go for walks, and enjoy nature. Live your life as if you never had tinnitus to begin with! Your brain will forget about it over time. I know it's easier said than done, but you're not going to get anywhere sitting in your house thinking.
Fifth, take Magnesium and hot baths, do neural tapping, and stretch. Make a habit of setting aside time for yourself to relax every day. It takes practice, but it can be done.
Sixth and maybe the most important one: STOP CHECKING ON YOUR EARS. Don't touch them, block them to see if it's gone away, and don't think about them. Tinnitus is not in the ears anyway; it's in the brain. It's like a rash; the more you scratch it, the more it will itch. The best thing I did was stop checking my ears and comparing my left ear to my right. It's not helpful.
Finally, you will get better. I promise. Everything gets better. But at some point, you have to make the choice that you are going to beat it, overcome it, and not let it invade your life anymore. For me, tinnitus put me in the psych ward. I had it badly. I felt like my life had been robbed of me. Not anymore. I'm 22; my life has just begun. You can reset it whenever you want, no matter how long you've had it or what the "professionals" have told you. You can and will get better. It's a matter of mindset. Right now, as I'm writing this, my tinnitus is so low I actually don't care about it at all. As for the distorted hearing, it's getting a bit better and clearer day by day, and the hyperacusis is pretty much gone altogether.
Don't give up hope. Now get out and enjoy your life again.
Lots of love to you all!
This is a chapter of my life I am now closing. Best wishes, you will get better!
