I went for CBT for 4 months for this and met two doctors that specialize in tinnitus. Most of what we do is just talk about life - not tinnitus. There is only so much you can say about it.
TRT and CBT are both counselling and by the sounds of things you were getting good treatment at your therapy sessions and I think you should have stayed with it. The whole point in talking about life is to help the patient see things differently and have a more positive outlook. Many people that have severe tinnitus only see doom and gloom and look at everything negatively, so there's no point in talking about tinnitus all the time.
At first the therapist discusses with the patient how the tinnitus makes them feel etc but the main goal is to help them look at life differently and with a positive outlook. It doesn't happen over night, and that's why the treatment lasts up to 2 years. TRT and CBT cannot perform miracles and they won't cure tinnitus which is what some people want. However, they will help a person to move on with their life accept tinnitus and learn to habituate to it but a person has got to want that to happen. These treatments cannot do all the work.
All the best
Michael
Positivity And Tinnitus
For some people prolonged intrusive tinnitus can be very stressful and at times debilitating. This can sometimes lead to depression and a person may need to go on a course of antidepressants. I have often been asked in tinnitus forums and via email "It is great if you're able to be positive, but simply telling someone to be more positive about tinnitus isn't going to change anything". I want to clarify here and now, that isn't what I mean.
Thinking more positive about tinnitus and bringing positivity into your life takes time it isn't achieved overnight or by simply thinking to yourself "I must be positive about my life".
If a person wants to improve the quality of their life they have to be prepared to try and help themselves, because there is no wonder drug or operation that can cure tinnitus at this time. Unless a person faces these facts they will forever be trawling the Internet going from forum to forum complaining why there is no treatment for tinnitus when actually many of these people want a complete cure.
I once read a newspaper article that mentioned: nineteen out of twenty medical conditions cannot be cured. Someone once told me "
I don't want to be positive about tinnitus, I hate it. Being positive wont make it go away". This is true, however, thinking more positive and bringing positivity into your life will reduce the perception on how you relate to tinnitus. CBT and TRT are based on having a positive attitude, without that these treatments aren't effective.
Long before CBT, TRT and the Internet came on the scene Doctors have been telling tinnitus patients, there's no cure you'll have to learn to live with it. Most of us know this is easier said than done.
So how does one start to think more positive about their tinnitus and to bring positivity into their life?
The fact that someone with tinnitus is reading this page suggests to me their tinnitus for today at least isn't so intrusive that they are unable to function, for that I'm pleased because this is something positive, instead of lying in bed on medication doing nothing. If you are able to work that's even better as your tinnitus isn't so severe you're incapacitated. I see this as something positive in a person's life. Being able to earn a living and support yourself. Therefore, you're able to do all the daily tasks one needs to survive in this world. You may have some difficulty granted, but you're still achieving and that's progress.
It is still better than someone that is visually impaired or severely disabled and unable to earn a living. Or, people with severe tinnitus that are depressed and on medication and unable to work. So by looking at our own circumstances and seeing what we're able to do and achieve we can think more positively about ourselves. There is nothing more satisfying than being independent and I suggest you hold onto those thoughts.
If you live by yourself consider getting a cat or a dog so your home environment won't feel so lonely. If you have a partner and family think about spending some quality time with them, as this can help reinforce your sense of belonging, and the love that binds you together, then your T won't make you feel so isolated. Sometimes opening up sharing your thoughts and how you feel can help immensely and keep negativity at bay.
I have just given a synopsis of what I believe can help a person's quality of life improve with positive thinking. It doesn't happen overnight but a lot can be achieved when one is prepared to try. By moving forwards and taking one day at a time you can occasionally look back and see how far you have come.
Michael
Member
