From Darkness to Light, How I Recovered from Tinnitus & Hyperacusis

[billie48]

Thank you Della for the kind words. Yes, these are amazing ladies. But you will also find many such examples from members posting their success stories here, such as Karen, Jade, AnneG, Claire, Kathi, Lena, Dr. Hubbard, IWLM, and others, etc., and their stories are just as inspiring.

 

[Rudy]

Hey Billie, how did you acquire T and H just out of curiosity. I got my T from ear lavaging then my H came into play from acoustic trauma from loud music.

 

[billie48]

Rudy, I can't pin down the exact cause of my T. I am not some one who likes to go to gigs. I didn't use ear buds much to bombard my ear drums. But I have hearing loss in high frequency range. A month before the onset of T I tried to fix a faulty smoke alarm w/o ear protection for a few minutes. A week before, I took a flight. A few days before, my wife told me we still owe the bank a big chunk of mortgage on our house (stress, lol). So I don't know which one triggered it. One night I just woke up with this ultra high pitch loud scream in the ears which caused me to shoot out of bed, covering my ears in agony, and when it went 7/24 and beyond, I was in a total mess mentally and physically.

The H came a few weeks after the T. It turned all normal sounds glassy and piercingly hurtful to the ears. I don't know what caused it. But I have read enough in the last few years to know that it is quite common for those who have very high pitch T to develop H soon after. One consolation is that this form of H, though severe initially, tends to fade over time within the year of its start, perhaps months for some. It is very limiting to us when it attacks, but it is usually the one to fade while T can stay on. So if your H fits this type, then you shouldn't worry about it much. Just protect your ears from loud sounds but don't over protect for normal sounds. Have patience and relax. It will get better.

 

[Hannah D]

The quality Goods.
Thank You for sharing.

 

[glennr]

You are an inspiration to many Billie! It is so important to know there is hope

 

[billie48]

Thanks guys. Yes, the more hopeful we are, the less stress we feel. The less stressful we are about T, the sooner its tyranny will be over. Being more positive will help the process towards habituation.

 

[Jbeans]

Hi Billie

Wow. Just wow. I am new to the world of Tinnitus and have only been struggling for 6 weeks (But as we all know, the beginning stages can be the hardest)

I wanted to express my gratitude to you and let you know that your post is still helping people (like me) in 2015.

It really resonated with me when you talked about how T was destroying your relationships and etc, because lately I have been snapping at colleagues and my loved ones.... It's like because I have T the world owes me.

You post was really long but I read every single word of it. Thank you again.

 

[David Ho]

Hi billie,

Just found your story and it was truly inspiring. Tks for posting the details of your journey and all the practical bits of advice. For me it's been a light in the darkness since this is all started.
I just hope to have the same mental strength to turn things around and some day write a story like yours.

 

[billie48]

Hi @Jbeans, thanks for the kind words. You are most welcome. Yes, my story is a bit long and I am glad it didn't bore you.

Sorry for the delay in response. If you have tagged me by @billie48, then I would have been alerted of your comment and responded faster.

Yes, one of the worst consequences of the T journey is ruined relationship. This T bully sure knows how to destroy its victims, not just by causing us immense suffering, but at the same time attempting to remove the support system we dearly rely on during the struggle. We have to try our best not to let this happen and it does take a conscious effort to confront this bully by doing the opposite of what it wants us to do to our love ones.

 

[billie48]

Thank you @David Ho for the compliment. I am sure glad the story has helped you in some way. But don't doubt your mental strength. I am someone with prior history of anxiety and panic disorder for decades. If I can recover with the help of using a good approach, like using positivity, acceptance, flow, and other points mentioned in the story, have faith you can too. But remember, the most important ingredient is really TIME. So for a new sufferer like you, be PATIENT to give TIME and your body enough time. If you read other success stories, you will sense the importance of the passage of time (plus some strategies, whatever works) in the healing process for most every one. No one is super human. It takes time for the body to get used to the alien sensation and slowly harden to the ringing. It also takes time for the body to heal naturally (as long as we don't stand in the way with extreme negative emotions).

One of the best approach you should consider is, after reading the stories, knowing that most people do get better after months, a year or two, despite the bumps (setbacks) along the road to habituation, you should tell yourself, "If I am going to be ok given time (however long it is), then why worry about the little bumps along the way. I will just go back to live my life and focus on other priorities, however hard at first, and give T very little time and attention, and see how my life will be in a year or two of doing that". That kind of thinking will take away the emotional suffering from T. Tinnitus will then be just a paper tiger, a meaningless sound, and life will be much more livable, because sooner of later you will get used to the ringing, especially it is no longer considered a threat by the brain. Take good care David and God bless.

 

[rooster]

I am coming up to 4 year of T. Also hyperacusis and bad dizziness. I am managing but it is so difficult. My daughter passed away 5 months after the T started. It was the most difficult time of my life. Like living a nightmare every day. I come here to this site to read stories like yours, because it is encouraging. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

 

[Danny Boy]

I am coming up to 4 year of T. Also hyperacusis and bad dizziness. I am managing but it is so difficult. My daughter passed away 5 months after the T started. It was the most difficult time of my life. Like living a nightmare every day. I come here to this site to read stories like yours, because it is encouraging. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Look on my keppra page, I actually managed to cure myself from it.

 

[Rina]

Hi @billie48 .. I've read your success story so many times and I'm great full for you ... I'm going to be 4 month into this T and still struggling but getting my life back little by little.. Believing by December all this T will be an experience that made me stronger! Thanks and God bless you!

 

[Rudy]

Danny are you still taking Keppra?

 

[billie48]

I am coming up to 4 year of T. Also hyperacusis and bad dizziness. I am managing but it is so difficult. My daughter passed away 5 months after the T started. It was the most difficult time of my life. Like living a nightmare every day. I come here to this site to read stories like yours, because it is encouraging. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Hi rooster, thank you for the good words. I hope you will improve over time. Normally, hyperacusis would fade but if yours stay on, then you need check with the doctor to see if there is some cause for it. If all else, you can also read up Danny's story about how the meds have helped. But do use caution to use these drugs and talk to your doctors about them. Meds are always the last resort. Your dizziness may be related to vertigo. Try consult the ENT or ask around the forum for advice how to deal with it. Take good care and God bless.

 

[billie48]

Hi @billie48 .. I've read your success story so many times and I'm great full for you ... I'm going to be 4 month into this T and still struggling but getting my life back little by little.. Believing by December all this T will be an experience that made me stronger! Thanks and God bless you!

Hi Rina, thank you very much for saying that. I am much encouraged by your comment, knowing that the long success story does offer some help to the readers. So glad to hear you are improving. Even little by little, it is an improvement after all. So take it as a positive. Time is on your side. Sooner or later, you will be free from this T bully. Yes, it should make you stronger. Didn't they say 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger'? It really is true. We can learn so much along this T journey that it is actually personal growth. After overcoming T, we can handle most other challenges. That may be an unexpected benefit from having T. Take good care of yourself. God bless.

 

[Mark A]

This is all new to me and this is the first forum story I read. My physical shows significant hearing loss, but I still need to see an ENT doctor. Not sure what that will do since there is no cure. But I'm glad to see your story where we can treat it with positive results. I am in the early stage and only came to the realization a few days ago that this is not going away and it is my new life. Can't sleep, eat, exercise, focus at work, control my emotions, etc... I am so scared! Thank you.

 

[Della]

Hello, @Mark A ! I'm so sorry you're having to join this club, but I welcome you nevertheless. You'll find lots of info and support here, and you've started in a great place: @billie48 has been hugely helpful to many of us, and continues to be. T is truly terrifying in the beginning, and everything you're feeling is totally normal ... we've all been there. I know it's hard to believe, but it really does get better with time.

Yes, you do need to see an ENT, if only to rule out certain conditions. You shouldn't expect much empathy on that front, though, to be honest. You may get lucky and be the exception, but unfortunately most people's experiences with ENTs, no matter where in the world they are, is pretty lousy.

Just try to stay as positive as you can, share what's going on with you with the significant people in your life, use the resources you learn about here, and you CAN get your life back ... really!

Wishing you all the best,
Della

 

[billie48]

Thank you very much @Della for the kind words. It is always uplifting to know our message of hope on TT support forum is helping the struggling new sufferers. Della has given great advice to you @Mark A, and she speaks the truth. You will get better over time especially after getting some more support and learning more information about how to get better from others here. Your T is still very new. It is too early to say it is permanent. Also, T is also known to be quite severe and intrusive at the start, but for many it can settle down to a more livable level. So don't fall into the trap of cognitive distortion projecting a bleak future based on the current condition of suffering. I made the initial mistake of doing that and paid a 'hellish' price for it in mental suffering. Right now, you may be in the fight or fright mode under the limbic nervous system, as your brain thinks T is unlivable and so it is a threat and it is being monitored by the brain all the time. This tends to magnify and sensitize your reaction to T. Try to calm down and stay positive. Try to follow some of the points I mentioned in my success story post. Read up as many success stories as possible to give yourself hope. This will help to reduce your anxiety and stress level. Most importantly, give it time. Be patient and let your body and time do its healing. Take care & God bless your recovery.

 

[Mark A]

Thank you @Della and @billie48. I had a very rough start, but becoming hopeful. That is all I can ask for as I take each day at a time. You two are wonderful for helping, and I will continue to work with your words to ease my fears. God bless,
Mark

 

[Eltel]

I agree ,posts like this keep me focused on improving .
After a yr I still am reacting too much but hopefully I will write my success story one day

 

[billie48]

Thanks @Eltel. Just keep positive that your body will slowly get used to the T sensation. Mine is ultra high pitch and loud dog whistle. It resonates in my whole head and much worse than a dentist drill. But it doesn't have any negative effect in my life any more. I live a normal, productive and enjoyable life. It takes patience. It takes learning more about T and about how others get better. It takes time for the body to get used to or hardened to this sound. Stay positive and calm as much as possible. Reducing the negative emotions will help you cope, as T feeds on negative emotions such as stress, anxiety and depression. Try get active with life again. You will be just fine in time.

 

[Eltel]

Billie48 ,yours is one of the posts I read reguarly when feeling low .
I am back to doing most things I did before but its still a struggle after 13 months .
Cycling circa 500 miles a month again and never missed a day off work .
Trying too not focus on the noise which I guess is moderate but it still is prominent over most things ,I guess because my brain just cannot leave it alone .
For instance I go somewhere quiet and think "oh not so bad " then jump in the car and drive with the windows open and radio on ....the T is still prominent then I think drive faster .
Thanks again

 

[gintas]

thank you !

 

[billie48]

You are most welcome, @gintas and @Eltel. Sorry I have not checked my success story post for a while and not aware of your posts when you don't tag me with a @ before my poster name of billie48. Hope you both are doing better. Eltel is doing the right thing. Take on T and live life as you like to live. Don't tip toe around it to give it power over you. The more we fear T, the more we will feel its tyranny over us.

 

[gintas]

what else you done except using CBT or everything comes naturally ?

 

[sabrina]

Thank you @billie48 truly an inspirational read. Thank u for all the tips and suggestions!

 

[Allen Charney]

Billie Boy, you are a Godsend, as I begin my transition from mild and inobtrusive T to hearing loss and intrusive T that has rendered my rather desperate and hopeless in the couple of month since it moved into the forefront of my awareness. Your post is inspiring, heartful, practical, and very comforting. I've already gotten some confidence from a brief mindfulness meditation that allowed me to be an observer of the bully in action and less its victim. Thanks.

 

[billie48]

what else you done except using CBT or everything comes naturally ?

Sorry miss your question to answer in time. Please tag me with @billie48 if you have question as I don't visit this story page often enough to be alerted. To answer you question, yes, everything comes naturally by following those important points I mention in my success story. It takes time and patience. But time is on our side.

 

[billie48]

Thank you Sabrina and Allen for the kind words. I am glad you find something helpful from the success story. That makes writing it and posting it all worthwhile.