Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

I agree that TRT is a scam. At first, I thought it was viable. However, I looked deeper at the science and found the following:

1) It's not supported. It has succeeded in 1 trial and failed in most. A quick meta-analysis would show that it's ineffective.

2) I have only seen some anecdotal evidence, which, as you say, without the same person cloning to have a placebo, is meaningless. Habituation and time could have played a role. The people claiming success have no placebo to rule out the above.

3) It's not recommended on the NHS.

So that leaves CBT, which isn't a treatment but is recommended to help with psychological distress and help manage the condition. Would you give CBT a go?

 

My NHS hospital practices the full two-year treatment of TRT, along with CBT, mindfulness, and relaxation therapy classes for tinnitus.

Michael

 

I agree that positive thinking (or any sort of thinking) cannot change anyone's tinnitus. But there are a lot of things in between experiencing tinnitus and not experiencing tinnitus. For myself, and I assume any human, when we're engaged in something we have our full attention on, we are not focused on the tinnitus.

Trust me, if I am having sex, I am ONLY having sex, and for all intents and purposes, I may not even have tinnitus. Now, someone can determine whether or not that is this type of thinking or that type of thinking. It makes no difference. During that experience, there is no perception of tinnitus at all. Zero. That doesn't mean I no longer have tinnitus, but it does mean that at different points in my life, I am not experiencing it.

That's good enough for me. It means I am not locked into it 24/7, and I certainly don't hear it or experience it when I'm sleeping. So if positive thinking (beats negative thinking, LOL) or what you have helps us to experience tinnitus less, then it's a good thing. I don't know why people are so focused on "curing' tinnitus. As it stands, there is no more chance of that happening than there is of curing a broken leg. If you have a broken leg, you don't go around walking on it; it only aggravates the issue. It's counterproductive.

Similarly, not watching our diet, not being engaged in pleasurable activities, etc., just aggravates tinnitus. We have the power to seek out diversions and escapes, to have a great life despite it, and to not do things that just make it worse. So we're not powerless; we can work with it. We have options. If we choose not to go with options, then that's on us; that's our problem, not the tinnitus's.

 

I broke my ankle and got a cast on my ankle; after eight weeks, they took the cast off my ankle, and within six months, it was as if my ankle had never been broken at all.

Four or five years ago, I got tinnitus; I've done every treatment imaginable for tinnitus. I am still aware of tinnitus a substantial portion of my day, moments of sex or other intense concentration aside.

There is a cure for a broken bone; there is no cure for tinnitus.

CBT can help. I've done CBT for Tinnitus with Dr. Hubbard. It gives some skills and strategies for dealing with tinnitus and not making things worse. It is particularly well suited for those still in the trauma stage of tinnitus, as it may help you get through it more quickly.

If you are going to habituate, the sooner you can defocus and calm down, the better; CBT will help with that. Of course, I am the lucky person who doesn't get to habituate, but at least I am more at peace with it now.

 

Distractions don't work for me. I can get involved in a movie or be around a group of people that distracts me from my tinnitus for a while, but I still feel high anxiety. My subconscious still picks up on it, even if I'm directing my focus elsewhere, and there's that automatic response from the sympathetic nervous system engaging the flight or fight response. There's still that layer of brain fog caused by tinnitus, even when I'm focusing on something else. If only it were that easy, I would have figured it out a long time ago. Although, years ago, when I had mild tinnitus, it was much easier. Having severe tinnitus is a whole different matter.

I apparently still hear it when I'm sleeping because I keep waking up after not sleeping for over two years. If not a cure, we at least need an effective treatment that significantly lowers tinnitus. Benzos help temporarily, at least, but that's not a good path to take.

 

Me too! This idea of volume doesn't matter is not my experience at all.

 

I prefer Acceptance over CBT. I found it to be way more beneficial personally. I mean, I’m still not thrilled with my tinnitus at all and it can still very much bother me, but acceptance has helped me manage it better throughout the day.

We still need proper treatments though. 100%

Volume definitely matters. This is why I hope we can measure it objectively one day to assess perceived loudness instead of depending on subjective reports. Through objective methods, we can show people how loud tinnitus can get.

It would be the best way to demonstrate the changing nature of this condition.

 

Was there a cause for your increase in 2022? Or was it spontaneous? How would you rate it before and after?

 

I think it was the noise trauma from a loud, continuous chirping sound that started between a Bluetooth transmitter and Bluetooth earbuds (or headphones) that continued for a few minutes while I was using a treadmill. I would probably rate my old tinnitus a 3 or 4, and I rate it a 7 to 9 these days since it's variable. But those ratings don't mean much since everyone has their own idea of how to rate their tinnitus, and tinnitus has no limit. So, I usually just say it's severe tinnitus.