Chapter 10: Claiming Your Life Back

[Tinnitus Talk]

Suggestions for Chapter 10: Claiming Your Life Back

Put all of your suggestions, comments and ideas in here and we'll update the guide as we go.

The guide can be found here Tinnitus Help: The Guide

The content that goes in the guide will be for everyone. Please consider that this is for people from many different cultures and belief systems - don't be offended if there are certain things that don't make it in

 

[Kathi]

Suggestions for Chapter 10: Claiming Your Life Back

Put all of your suggestions, comments and ideas in here and we'll update the guide as we go.

The guide can be found here Tinnitus Help: The Guide

The content that goes in the guide will be for everyone. Please consider that this is for people from many different cultures and belief systems - don't be offended if there are certain things that don't make it in

This is really important so instead of depending on success stories you might want to offer practical tips like attending family functions, socializing, getting a part time or full time job (if able), enjoying an old hobby. You can suggest audiobooks for relief while doing family chores, etc. Just a suggestion. These things all helped me.

 

[Kathi]

I didn't realize that my participation would be on the board--but that's okay. Hope it helps someone.

Love,
Kat

 

[Path Maker]

If there is ONE thing I can say, and say it succinctly so you can say it to yourself succinctly, as a daily reminder:

THE DISTRESS YOU FEEL IN THE BEGINNING IS NOT PERMANENT. PLEASE TELL YOURSELF THIS OVER AND OVER.

THE DISTRESS OF THE EARLY DAYS IS BECAUSE YOU HAVE JUST GONE FROM BEING SOMEONE WITHOUT TINNITUS TO SOMEONE WITH TINNITUS, AND THERE IS A LOT OF EMOTIONAL REACTIVITY TO THE MAJOR LIFE CHANGE OF THAT.

TIME is your ally, and AS YOU LEARN TO COPE and AS YOU LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW THE TINNITUS AFFECTS YOU, you WILL learn to handle it better.

So while you are going through these first days, weeks, maybe months, please keep reminding yourself that YOU are still YOU, and your LIFE is STILL your LIFE. And ... that HAPPINESS and a MEANINGFUL LIFE is still going to be available to you.

 

[MichaelO]

I am a musician and find that practicing and performing completely take my mind off of the tinnitus. I think the result is partly because my vocals and the music mask it and, just as important I am focusing on something important.

 

[Song interpreter]

I have read that for some people with tinnitus, when they first get it, it is possible to cure it. So, if you are new to this condition, see what can be done as soon as possible. If that doesn't work, work with it. Don't fight it. Read through this forum to see what has worked for others. Maybe something will resonate with you.

Just don't panic! If we can do it, you can too!

 

[josh77]

What has helped me so far:
1. Sound masking that is mostly crickets. It's the only making that seems to help
2. Playing chess or other games that take focus. I play on the iPad before going to sleep.
3. This one get a "maybe" in regards to helping. I started using topical Magnesium oil after reading post and info online. Maybe it does calm the nerves a bit.
4. Klonipin. If you are living a normal life I would start using it. If you can't get enough sleep to function in your normal life and you feel your life it out of control, it will calm you down and allow you to sleep. I'd rather not be taking it but I was to the point of pure insanity without sleeping for days.

 

[glynis]

Tinnitus and depression can take away your confidence and how you feel about yourself and see your future.

Time to get positive in small steps and get your life back on track by building up the positives in life.

Try to make plans to look forward to and remember you have total control over what makes you happy and show your tinnitus who is the boss.

Look for the good things in life even when you feel like giving up and you will come through this tough time in your life a lot stronger .....stay positive ....all my love glynis

 

[Amelia]

One of mine would be don't give yourself a deadline to habituation.
Reading all the success stories was great but then I'd compare my journey to theirs and wonder why I wasn't feeling better as quickly as theirs. No comparing!

 

[Andrea White]

Yes, getting your life back is critical to surviving T. I accepted every invitation, deliberately sought out my friends and family, forgot about myself, learned to play bridge, sang in a choir, joined interesting groups - this has made me so much happier than sitting at home and worrying about T . I concentrate on others, and listen to my MP3 - but I'm still exploring solutions to it. I notice that when I'm engaged with other people, my T disapppears for a while. It feels like a bit of a miracle. At the start of it I thought I'd never be happy again - but I am ! Give it a go.

 

[Shedee]

If no treatments work and it becomes chronical, there are ways how to get life quality back:

- Tinnitus masking (either individual = sective according to particular T frequency or just surrounding yourself with sounds or noise of suitable intensity).

- Mentally suppress the T presence, try to behave like if it didn't exist, get it out of brain, bet back to normal life like before T came.

- Move T to the group of sounds that are not evaluated as dangerous thus brain gradually starts to filtrate them. Again this is about mentall unbinding from T. It requires patience.

- psychopharmacs, sleeping pills, sedatives – only in case of serious cases

- discussion with others having T – sharing new ideas, ways of helping ourselves



Last but not least don't stop believing in inventing new treatments. It's a good idea to financially support the institutions which does the research or supports an emerging researches (i.e. ata.org)