My cousin never cried in his van over tinnitus, I asked him how long it took him to get over losing his eye. He lost it because a nail gun misfired and went straight into his eye. He told me it took him around two years to get back to normal and said it gave him balance issues, which led to him getting really down because his work relied on it. He said some days after work not long after they removed his eye he'd lie in his van after work and cry cos he thought he'd never feel the same again.
It was at this point that he asked me why I wanted to know, so I told him about how my tinnitus had got worse. The thing is when I was at my darkest point I thought about him losing his eye and thought if he got over that then this should be nothing.
It was at this point when he said 'tinnitus'? 'does your head ring' then did the ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhh noise, I said 'yea', he goes 'yea I've got that too'. I said 'oh right doesn't it bother you', he said 'no not really, it's always there but I don't really think about it'. My other cousin over heard and shouted 'that annoying noise in your head? I've got that as well'.
Basically no shame at all. Celebrities as far as I can see are far from ashamed talking about T. Pretty much every old school rock star has it, it even appears in their songs.
For example:
Audioslave-
Show me How to Live:"This ringing in my head, is this a cure, or is this a disease?"
Beck-
Nausea: "Now I'm a seasick sailor, on a ship of noise, I got my maps all backwards, and my instincts poisoned, In a truth blown gutter, full of wasted years, like blown-out speakers ringin' in my ears"
Blondie-
Fan Mail : "And the bells in my ears kept ringing, In my ears bells are ringing."
Bob Dylan-
Call Letter Blues: "My ears are ringing, ringing like empty shells... Well, it can't be no guitar player. Must be convent bells."
Fallout Boy-
I've Got All This Ringing In My Ears And None On My Fingers (title)
Peter Frampton-
Show Me the Way:"I wonder how you're feeling....there's ringing in my ears."
Garbage-
Push It : "This is the noise that keeps me awake, my head explodes and my body aches."
Hazel -
Ringing in My Ears:
"...So that I'll carry with my years the sound of you ringing in my ears."
The High Dials-
Can You Hear The Bells?: "Sad to hear what I hear, so sharp and clear, like a ringing in my ear."
Mark Knopfler-
All The Roadrunning: "And when there is only a ring in your ears, and an echo down memory lane, then if it's all for nothing, all the road running has been in vain."
Looper-
On the Flipside: "I'd like to sit down in the shade, maybe drink some lemonade, sit and just be quiet and breathe, but ... my head makes too much noise."
Mr. Bungle-
Slowly Growing Deaf: "To my ears the greatest sin, feel a bit like Beethoven... No one is listening, yet ears are ringing."
Nine Inch Nails-
Something I Can Never Have : "I still recall the taste of your tears. Echoing your voice just like the ringing in my ears."
Nine Inch Nails-
The Becoming : "I can try to get away but I've strapped myself in. I can try to scratch away the sound in my ears. I can see it killing away all of my bad parts. I don't want to listen but it's all to clear. Hiding backwards inside of me I feel so unafraid. Annie, hold a little tighter I might just slip away. It won't give up. It wants me dead. Goddamn this noise inside my head."
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band-
Hillbilly Hollywood : "I played some bars where you never wanna go. From Oklahoma City down to Tupelo. My ears would be ringing like an old fire bell when I'd lay me down in some cheap motel."
Robert Plant-
Stairway to Heaven: "You´re head is humming and it won´t go in case you don´t know."
Francis Rossi/Status Quo-
Burning Bridges: "I can't escape this ringing in my ears."
Bob Seger-
Turn the Page: "Later in the evening as you lie awake in bed, with the echo from the amplifiers ringing in your head."
Snow Patrol-
The Last Shot Ringing in My Ears (title)
Thom Yorke-
Hearing Damage: "Your speakers are blowing...Your ears are wrecking...Your hearing damage..."
U2-
Staring At The Sun: "There's an insect in your ear, if you scratch it won't disappear."
Wilco-
Heavy Metal Drummer: "Classical music blasting masks the ringing in my ears."
Ive been a pro musician for around 15 years and know loads on the circuit round here who have tinnitus, it's almost just part of the job. It's a far cry from being humiliating, just an annoyance. Some musicians are proud of it such as Liam Gallagher, check these quotes out:
"Without a doubt I have tinnitus. You're not a proper rock'n'roll star if you don't,"
"I learned to live with it a long time ago. I put up with it – I just talk really loudly over it. I'm proud of it. Anyone who doesn't have ringing in their ears can fuck right off."
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