Early Stages of Tinnitus: Fighting It vs Accepting It.

[Alue]

After all the research I've done on tinnitus since my onset, and reading through a lot of other people's experiences, I'm perplexed by a question. Most of the treatments seem like a crap-shoot. There are a few things that haven put through the rigors of medical testing, and even those seem to be a hit and miss. As far as alternative treatments it may help for some, but most of it is anecdotal and it's difficult to tell if it actually helped or if the person got better on their own or habituated.

From my understanding of tinnitus, it is most likely an abnormal brain response to loss of auditory input. A hyperactivity, if you will, seeking out to fill in that loss in input in a specific range. Stress, it would seem, could exacerbate this hyperactivity especially in the early stages, and the prevailing thought is that the longer it goes on the more ingrained and permanent tinnitus becomes.

So my question is, are we doing ourselves a disservice by frantically trying every treatment under the sun to 'fix' this problem in the early stages? Where does one draw the line between trying to fight it and trying to ignore it and get their mind off of it? At this point I'm not sure which is more beneficial.

 

[linearb]

So my question is, are we doing ourselves a disservice by frantically trying every treatment under the sun to 'fix' this problem in the early stages? Where does one draw the line between trying to fight it and trying to ignore it and get their mind off of it? At this point I'm not sure which is more beneficial.

Perhaps there is a middle ground, where one can rationally try the handful of things which have at least some evidence-based support for being helpful, without being frantic. There doesn't seem to be a direct link between the two things.

Put differently, I believe it is also not in someone's favor to not attempt treatment, but spend their time completely consumed with fear about their condition and the future.

Anxiety is an old friend to me at this point, and something that I've learned is that any time I am anxious about something, it's an active process which involves a feedback loop. Simply being aware of this truth lets me step outside it to a limited degree. When I become aware that I am afraid, usually I also become aware that the way I am thinking and behaving is directly amping up the amount of fear that I feel.

This does not mean that one can simply sit down and meditate in the midst of a crisis mindstate and have all of the fear go away, but for myself, I have accepted that I do have a degree of control.

If you can become aware of how these feedback loops function, you may suddenly realize that when you are faced with a challenging, unpleasant state of mind, you have a choice: do you want to be an active participant in that fear, or do you want to become a passive observer of it?

The irony here is, for me, a basic paradox of meditative/cognitive practices: if you sit down and say "I am going to meditate, so that I become calmer", you're doing it 'wrong' because the thought itself is passing a judgement on your experience, and projecting it into the future, which is contrary to the basic premise of meditation. And yet, the simple act of doing the meditation, is almost certain to make you calmer, at least to some limited extent...

 

[David J]

You all make very valid points. However, if you examine the reason for the fear, it is simply due to the lack of acceptance. That is the answer to the question posed for this thread. Acceptance: It is the answer to conquering the anxiety associated with trying to fix something that is unfixable. It is unfortunate that so many people right here in this forum suffer for so long before they someday come to terms with the fact that the best way to beat this damn "T" is to accept it.
I have lived with it (Tinnitus) for about seven years now and only in the last several years have I found peace. I found peace when I decided that I simply need to accept it and move on with my life. There have been only a few incidences in recent years when I have allowed my "T" to become a factor in my life. Those were occasions when as Linerb discussed, fear crept in as a result of some upheaval in my life that had nothing to do with my "T". Still, when I became anxious, tired and stressed, I would think about how miserable my life is with this damn ringing in my ear. However, those occasions are rare and quickly pass.
My "T" is now my friend. I will it to be so! It is that simple. It is no longer something to be feared. It is not the enemy. It is there always, but it does me no harm.
I am cured!
Sincerely,
David

 

[zeroday]

@David I Excellent post...my T has been my companion for 20 years...I have stated elsewhere, at times I sit in silence with the ringing prevalent and meditate...

 

[glynis]

Its a case of learning to cope with tinnitus.

Their is help for the unwanted emotions tinnitus can cause like anxiety and depression with medication and talking therapy .

Their is help with sound therapy and for some people maskers and hearing aids.

Their is help with support from family and friends,.doctors,audiology ,
ENT,counselling,forums and mouth guards for TRT.

we all have our own tinnitus journey and in time find our own way to cope and it will happen in time...lots of love glynis

 

[Snoopy]

we all have our own tinnitus journey and in time find our own way to cope and it will happen in time

Glynis is right - I have tried many different 'treatments" - a different one each week- but the thing to remember is to try them from that place of hope- not frustration or anxiety of "WHEN WILL T BE GONE" because for most it never will really be gone, but with time most can learn to live with it, and manage the spikes. I have had T for awhile now but it only became a real problem in the last 3-4 months when it became 'reactive'- I had alot of really BAD days but found the more I let go of trying to fix it the better I was able to cope. Don't get me wrong my little nieces happy laughing and the clang of silverware still make me clench my jaw and plug my ears but I have learned to react less and manage my reaction more.

 

[SteveShield]

Wow... that was my question, tinnitus for 3 months, it just sucks!....do I fight it or blend with it?... so anxious, fatigued...