Five Year "Anniversary"

[marqualler]

Hello all. Today is the five year anniversary that my tinnitus started. I remember it clearly, waking up at 3am on Sept 30 and hearing an unusual ringing in my left ear that wouldn't stop. When it didn't go away by the end of the work day, I laughed. When I went to sleep the next night and woke up and it was still there, I was concerned. By the end of the week, it was still there, and I was straight up terrified. I was in a state of shock, anxiety, and depression for three months that was essentially the worst three months of my life.

A year after my tinnitus started, my second child, my daughter Colette was born. I was still deeply affected by my tinnitus but something about that life change shifted my tinnitus into the background. I actually remember being somewhat anxious about my tinnitus while waiting for Colette to be born, and was able to shift it into the background of my life after that.

Now five years later--do I still have tinnitus? Yes. Admittedly, what triggered my tinnitus, a moderate unilateral ear infection, was what made it the most difficult to deal with initially. I believe that as my ear infection and inflammation died down, my tinnitus died down a bit (although is still there as a reminder.) I wear ear plugs to concerts but no longer am concerned about wearing them at movies like I was in that first year. I live a very fulfilling life, doing everything I want, and in a way my struggle with tinnitus taught me to savor life every day of my life, because we only get one life.

Colette is now four and my son Malcolm is six, and life is going faster than I could have anticipated. But I am proof that the initial shock and depression of tinnitus does not need to define you for a lifetime.

 

[all to gain]

That's really nice to hear!! I'm so happy for you!!

I hope I can get to where you are now.

 

[marqualler]

Hi all,

I wanted to share a follow up to my previous success story.

About six months ago, my tinnitus worsened significantly after attending a concert. In hindsight, I believe it was a combination of factors leading up to that unprotected concert: a weekend of loud networking events, coupled with a huge amount of work related stress. From May through August, I felt like I was back to square one with this horrific condition.

During a family trip to Seattle, the experience was, unfortunately, somewhat torturous due to the persistent ringing. It brought back the same challenges I faced when I first developed tinnitus, including reactivity, heightened sound sensitivity, and overwhelming anxiety and depression.

However, something began to shift between the end of August and now. The intensity and suffering I had been experiencing started to diminish gradually. It began with a weekend getaway at a cabin with my kids. During that trip, I made a small but impactful change: I switched my nighttime masking noise from white noise to dark brown noise. To my surprise, I noticed my tinnitus was less intense in the mornings.

As the school year started, I began cautiously reintroducing myself to environments with moderate noise, such as restaurants with sound levels around 70 decibels. By October, I felt confident enough to attend a few events, although sparingly. By the end of October, I realized that things were starting to return to normal.

I even managed to attend a Minnesota Timberwolves game, my favorite sports team, and a performance at the Minnesota Opera with my wife. I wore earplugs at both events, and while it was not a perfect experience, I came away without any lasting effects.

Now, in mid December, I find myself reflecting on how far I have come. While my tinnitus is still present, I feel like myself again. I am sharing this because I know many people with tinnitus feel like things will never get better. I want to hold space for the possibility that improvement is achievable, even if the condition does not completely go away.

I have also started volunteering with the Tinnitus Quest group, which has been immensely helpful for me. Being part of a community of people who are living fulfilling lives despite tinnitus is incredibly inspiring. My hope is to bring renewed energy to helping others in the tinnitus community while I continue to function well and enjoy life despite this condition.

 

[Thomas_83]

Your story is quite similar to mine. I developed tinnitus in 2021, and after a lot of work-related stress, it flared up again in October 2024. I went through the same spiral of anxiety and panic attacks. While I still have some anxiety, the tinnitus has diminished to a very low volume this week.

I'm glad to hear you've improved, and I really hope the same will happen for me. Now that I know stress makes it worse, I've joined a six-week Tai Chi course, hoping it will help me relax.

Thank you for the positive update!