I’m Over It

[katri]

Earlier this year my grandma died and I became very depressed. I stopped looking after myself or really caring about my tinnitus in general. It wasn't until this morning that I thought about it again. It was considerably worse and I spent a good while crying about it. My tinnitus felt like it went from a 3 to a 9 over night. It took like half a day for me to realize that "it is, what it is". I've gone through this all before and I don't want to do it all over again.

In general, I'm a anxious person. I have to get good grades, be the best at my work place, and make my family proud. I love juggling it all but it makes me nervous (crazy I'm more nervous about life than I am about tinnitus). It started over two years ago and I haven't given it too much thought. By the time I did, I had other coping mechanisms for stress. Putting my life into perspective really makes a difference. I'm 17 years old, I'm in college, and I have a life to live. It can't take up all my time if I want to become a travel nurse and see every country in the world. I have a poster on my wall that has all of my goals written out and not one of them has anything to do with tinnitus.

Times like this just reminds me that tinnitus is just an audible illness. I can do whatever I want anytime I want and I think that was my biggest problem before. I felt like it took away my freedom. In actuality, it made me get up and realize I had it in the first place. I used to be so lazy and now I realize my original "coping" techniques for tinnitus made me a better person. I go hiking, driving, walking just about everyday. I also run errands for my family and help with dinner. When I can't do any of those things, I force myself to call my relatives and old friends. Keeping yourself busy makes all the difference. In the beginning everyone struggles but within months (most likely) you're going to start to get over it. I have the mentality that I get bored of things everyday and now I'm bored of tinnitus.

 

[dpdx]

So did it lower again.

My tinnitus never ever increased when I was stressed, only to loud noise.

 

[katri]

@dpdx Nope. Not at all. I'm sure it will eventually but I'll just wait it out. It's all I can do. When I first got it, it was probably about as loud as your car when you forget to put on your seatbelt. It lowered from there to about a 3 or 2. Now it's louder than ever.

But seriously, if I can't fit my best friend in my schedule, I'm not going to fit this bullshit either.

 

[dpdx]

@dpdx Nope. Not at all. I'm sure it will eventually but I'll just wait it out. It's all I can do. When I first got it, it was probably about as loud as your car when you forget to put on your seatbelt. It lowered from there to about a 3 or 2. Now it's louder than ever.

But seriously, if I can't fit my best friend in my schedule, I'm not going to fit this bullshit either.

Have you exposed yourself to hazardous noise? I cant imagine stress doing this. When I had mild T I would be so stressed out that I didnt sleep, nothing happened.

 

[katri]

@dpdx yea just a bit. Not from concerts or anything. Just my headphones again. My grandmas passing was pretty rough on me and I thought I had a handle on things just I didn't. I'm messed up but that's all on me. I'm not mad either it's just a setback for a major comeback. I'm more worried about my hair rn. It's too short to put in a pony tail and it looks a little wacky. I work at a fast food placement and he managers are super strict about everything. I get in trouble for not being "bubbly" enough.

 

[Ed209]

Have you exposed yourself to hazardous noise? I cant imagine stress doing this. When I had mild T I would be so stressed out that I didnt sleep, nothing happened.

You just created a paradox. You said stress can't increase your T, but now have increased T.

If you weren't sleeping and were already stressed then that's a classic precursor that we see time and time again. Stress and bad sleep hygiene can both play a huge role in ramping up a person's tinnitus to a new level.

It's also much harder than you realise to get your body out of a state of chronic stress. Most people don't even realise they are chronically stressed, but a blood test would probably show you had/have elevated cortisol and adrenaline levels in your blood stream.

The mayo clinic can explain this better than me so I'll link info from them directly below, but I will say your situation was likely always building up to an increase because your stress levels were probably out of control. I've seen evidence that suggests the high levels of T in veterans could be down to the fact that it's a unique situation of intense stress and dangerous noise combined. It's also reported a lot amongst people who are burnt out or are stressed-out after a death in their family. In situations like these it's quite common for tinnitus to set in or get worse. This is why it's absolutely vital to tackle stress head on when dealing with this condition. In my opinion, it is critical.

Mayo clinic:

Chronic stress puts your health at risk
Chronic stress can wreak havoc on your mind and body. Take steps to control your stress.

By Mayo Clinic Staff
Your body is hard-wired to react to stress in ways meant to protect you against threats from predators and other aggressors. Such threats are rare today, but that doesn't mean that life is free of stress.

On the contrary, you undoubtedly face multiple demands each day, such as shouldering a huge workload, making ends meet and taking care of your family. Your body treats these so-called minor hassles as threats. As a result you may feel as if you're constantly under assault. But you can fight back. You don't have to let stress control your life.

Understanding the natural stress response
When you encounter a perceived threat — a large dog barks at you during your morning walk, for instance — your hypothalamus, a tiny region at the base of your brain, sets off an alarm system in your body. Through a combination of nerve and hormonal signals, this system prompts your adrenal glands, located atop your kidneys, to release a surge of hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol.

Adrenaline increases your heart rate, elevates your blood pressure and boosts energy supplies. Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, increases sugars (glucose) in the bloodstream, enhances your brain's use of glucose and increases the availability of substances that repair tissues.

Cortisol also curbs functions that would be nonessential or detrimental in a fight-or-flight situation. It alters immune system responses and suppresses the digestive system, the reproductive system and growth processes. This complex natural alarm system also communicates with regions of your brain that control mood, motivation and fear.

When the natural stress response goes haywire
The body's stress-response system is usually self-limiting. Once a perceived threat has passed, hormone levels return to normal. As adrenaline and cortisol levels drop, your heart rate and blood pressure return to baseline levels, and other systems resume their regular activities.

But when stressors are always present and you constantly feel under attack, that fight-or-flight reaction stays turned on.

The long-term activation of the stress-response system — and the subsequent overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones — can disrupt almost all your body's processes. This puts you at increased risk of numerous health problems, including:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Digestive problems
• Headaches
• Heart disease
• Sleep problems
• Weight gain
• Memory and concentration impairment

That's why it's so important to learn healthy ways to cope with the stressors in your life.

Why you react to life stressors the way you do
Your reaction to a potentially stressful event is different from anyone else's. How you react to stressors in your life is affected by such factors as:

• Genetics. The genes that control the stress response keep most people on a fairly even keel, only occasionally priming the body for fight or flight. Overactive or underactive stress responses may stem from slight differences in these genes.
• Life experiences. Strong stress reactions sometimes can be traced to traumatic events. People who were neglected or abused as children tend to be particularly vulnerable to stress. The same is true of people who have experienced violent crime, airplane crash survivors, military personnel, police officers and firefighters.

You may have some friends who seem laid-back about almost everything and others who react strongly at the slightest stress. Most reactions to life stressors fall somewhere between those extremes.

Learning to react to stress in a healthy way
Stressful events are a fact of life. And you may not be able to change your current situation. But you can take steps to manage the impact these events have on you.

You can learn to identify what stresses you and how to take care of yourself physically and emotionally in the face of stressful situations.

Stress management strategies include:

• Eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise and plenty of sleep
• Practicing relaxation techniques such as trying yoga, practicing deep breathing, getting a massage or learning to meditate
• Taking time for hobbies, such as reading a book or listening to music
• Fostering healthy friendships
• Having a sense of humor
• Volunteering in your community
• Seeking professional counseling when needed

The payoff for learning to manage stress is peace of mind and — perhaps — a longer, healthier life.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress/art-20046037

 

[dpdx]

You just created a paradox. You said stress can't increase your T, but now have increased T.

If you weren't sleeping and were already stressed then that's a classic precursor that we see time and time again. Stress and bad sleep hygiene can both play a huge role in ramping up a person's tinnitus to a new level.

It's also much harder than you realise to get your body out of a state of chronic stress. Most people don't even realise they are chronically stressed, but a blood test would probably show you had/have elevated cortisol and adrenaline levels in your blood stream.

The mayo clinic can explain this better than me so I'll link info from them directly below, but I will say your situation was likely always building up to an increase because your stress levels were probably out of control. I've seen evidence that suggests the high levels of T in veterans could be down to the fact that it's a unique situation of intense stress and dangerous noise combined. It's also reported a lot amongst people who are burnt out or are stressed-out after a death in their family. In situations like these it's quite common for tinnitus to set in or get worse. This is why it's absolutely vital to tackle stress head on when dealing with this condition. In my opinion, it is critical.

Mayo clinic:

Chronic stress puts your health at risk
Chronic stress can wreak havoc on your mind and body. Take steps to control your stress.

By Mayo Clinic Staff
Your body is hard-wired to react to stress in ways meant to protect you against threats from predators and other aggressors. Such threats are rare today, but that doesn't mean that life is free of stress.

On the contrary, you undoubtedly face multiple demands each day, such as shouldering a huge workload, making ends meet and taking care of your family. Your body treats these so-called minor hassles as threats. As a result you may feel as if you're constantly under assault. But you can fight back. You don't have to let stress control your life.

Understanding the natural stress response
When you encounter a perceived threat — a large dog barks at you during your morning walk, for instance — your hypothalamus, a tiny region at the base of your brain, sets off an alarm system in your body. Through a combination of nerve and hormonal signals, this system prompts your adrenal glands, located atop your kidneys, to release a surge of hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol.

Adrenaline increases your heart rate, elevates your blood pressure and boosts energy supplies. Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, increases sugars (glucose) in the bloodstream, enhances your brain's use of glucose and increases the availability of substances that repair tissues.

Cortisol also curbs functions that would be nonessential or detrimental in a fight-or-flight situation. It alters immune system responses and suppresses the digestive system, the reproductive system and growth processes. This complex natural alarm system also communicates with regions of your brain that control mood, motivation and fear.

When the natural stress response goes haywire
The body's stress-response system is usually self-limiting. Once a perceived threat has passed, hormone levels return to normal. As adrenaline and cortisol levels drop, your heart rate and blood pressure return to baseline levels, and other systems resume their regular activities.

But when stressors are always present and you constantly feel under attack, that fight-or-flight reaction stays turned on.

The long-term activation of the stress-response system — and the subsequent overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones — can disrupt almost all your body's processes. This puts you at increased risk of numerous health problems, including:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Digestive problems
• Headaches
• Heart disease
• Sleep problems
• Weight gain
• Memory and concentration impairment

That's why it's so important to learn healthy ways to cope with the stressors in your life.

Why you react to life stressors the way you do
Your reaction to a potentially stressful event is different from anyone else's. How you react to stressors in your life is affected by such factors as:

• Genetics. The genes that control the stress response keep most people on a fairly even keel, only occasionally priming the body for fight or flight. Overactive or underactive stress responses may stem from slight differences in these genes.
• Life experiences. Strong stress reactions sometimes can be traced to traumatic events. People who were neglected or abused as children tend to be particularly vulnerable to stress. The same is true of people who have experienced violent crime, airplane crash survivors, military personnel, police officers and firefighters.

You may have some friends who seem laid-back about almost everything and others who react strongly at the slightest stress. Most reactions to life stressors fall somewhere between those extremes.

Learning to react to stress in a healthy way
Stressful events are a fact of life. And you may not be able to change your current situation. But you can take steps to manage the impact these events have on you.

You can learn to identify what stresses you and how to take care of yourself physically and emotionally in the face of stressful situations.

Stress management strategies include:

• Eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise and plenty of sleep
• Practicing relaxation techniques such as trying yoga, practicing deep breathing, getting a massage or learning to meditate
• Taking time for hobbies, such as reading a book or listening to music
• Fostering healthy friendships
• Having a sense of humor
• Volunteering in your community
• Seeking professional counseling when needed

The payoff for learning to manage stress is peace of mind and — perhaps — a longer, healthier life.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress/art-20046037

My T increased because of a loud cvemp.

 

[Contrast]

researchers are discouraged to find treatments for suffering indivudals when habituation is valued before biomedical research, tinnitus also comes with hearing loss, noxacusis(hyperacusis with pain), vestibular issues and TMD sometimes.

 

[Ed209]

My T increased because of a loud cvemp.

I know your story well, dpdx. We've spoken many times and it always saddens me to hear what this condition does to people's lives.

What I'm saying is that you were already chronically stressed, and then to add to that, you had a test done which also made you extremely stressed on top of that. The noise may have been secondary, and you may still be fine. There's a very real chance that you are so fixated with your tinnitus that your stress feedback loop is just out of control. The moment that noise was played was probably the straw that broke the camals back.

It can be very hard to differentiate between a feedback loop of chronic stress, and actual physical damage. Although prolonged stress in and of itself can also damage the auditory system.

This is what makes tinnitus such a difficult thing to pin down. There are just too many ways of acquiring it or making it worse.

 

[Roy114]

I have a poster on my wall that has all of my goals written out and not one of them has anything to do with tinnitus.

I love it that you said this. My tinnitus is very severe aswell. Once a cure or some sort of treatment finally arrives I don't want to look back and think "I lost many years of my life to that terrible illness. I instead want to think "Those years were hard but they definitely made me a stronger person". To achieve this I can't let something as stupid as tinnitus ruin my young years. I also have a bucket list that I'm gonna achieve whether tinnitus wants me or not.

 

[Ed209]

researchers are discouraged to find treatments for suffering indivudals when habituation is valued before biomedical research, tinnitus also comes with hearing loss, noxacusis(hyperacusis with pain), vestibular issues and TMD sometimes.

Contrast, this doesn't make much sense. I wouldn't consider habituation something that can be valued? It either happens or it doesn't, and for the people who do habituate it means getting most of their life back.

Researchers need money. The medical community know how much an effective treatment is worth; that's all the incentive they need in a capitalistic world. I highly doubt they sit around thinking about habituation; more like: "I wish we had enough money to get a project off the ground"!

 

[Gabri]

Great, but not a success story.

 

[katri]

Great, but not a success story.

I consider it one because most of the time people on this website continue to go down a downward spiral when they're upset. Struggling with habituation is ok because we all do. Many people come and go on this site and I view this as a way to speak my peace and remind others that success doesn't always mean physical healing. It also means feeling confident in your skin. It's so easy to join this site, make friends, and never want to leave, but all of that makes it easier for people to continuously obsess over their t. Even the biggest names on this site have taken breaks from it to heal.

 

[Striveon]

Hey, Katri, I know you said you're over it, but remember the advice you gave me yesterday?

You helped me out a lot, now I will give you an advice. Keep on going foward, the increase in your tinnitus, give it a few months, no headphones and protect yourself form loud noises for now so you can have a faster healing. I believe in you <3 you will get through this, go out there and distract your mind, work and be kind to people, you are like me, I feel better when I'm nice to someone, if you ever need someone to talk to, don't hesitate on asking me.

We can be friends, let's support one another. For now, try to habituate and take care of your ears and drink your good vitamins, you'll get better.

I have hopes you will but no headphones please and I'm sorry for the loss of your grandma, life is complicated but let's endure and fight this battle till we reach the end of tinnitus and learn to deal with life.

I'm also a very anxious person, maybe some natural anxiety vitamins can help?

I am also about the good grades and the trying my very best on everything I do, keep doing great and I wish you a good luck girly, you got this alright!! take care!

 

[daiso]

Great, but not a success story.

Yes it is, more so than the stories about T fading or disappearing. It's people's accounts like this that fuel confidence.

 

[Contrast]

so you do realize hearing loss is a cause of tinnitus and if therapeutics for hearing loss do not arrive in the near future there is always a chance your tinnitus and hearing can get worse?

also tinnitus comes usually with not just hearing loss but balance issues, hyperacusis and TMD.

theese success stories don't look at the bigger picture of how tinnitus is usually connected to other conditions that worsen, sorry if I sound negative.

 

[threefirefour]

Great, but not a success story.

Yeah for some reason these are posted a lot.

 

[Greg Sacramento]

I consider everyone with tinnitus as an individual and with that what pieces of the tinnitus package do they rent or own. Included would be level of hearing loss, level of PITCH and severity, CENTRALIST tinnitus conditions and OTHER health conditions. Doctors consider age, medical history, medication use, drug use and limited patient psychology factors unless there in the psychology field.

Many people have extreme traits, but those with tinnitus always will have some and most fall into certain sequences. Certain conditions can run in families and tinnitus can be one. Doctors make quick assumption assessment of mental status, including those with tinnitus, but they don't know what your home life is like. I'm not a doctor, but I always consider pain, compassion/support and level of tinnitus pitch. One's pitch should be a consideration for self and when judging someone else.

 

[Roy114]

Yeah for some reason these are posted a lot.

Because the vast majority that fully habituates don't care about this forum. You mostly see posts from people that are doing better but still need some communication with others going through the same.

 

[threefirefour]

Because the vast majority that fully habituates don't care about this forum. You mostly see posts from people that are doing better but still need some communication with others going through the same.

Yeah but they accidently post it on success stories despite the fact their tinnitus didn't actually reduce. Wastes a click for people looking for actual success.

 

[Roy114]

Yeah but they accidently post it on success stories despite the fact their tinnitus didn't actually reduce. Wastes a click for people looking for actual success.

How is habituation to any extent not a success?

 

[threefirefour]

How is habituation to any extent not a success?

It's like getting over losing a videogame and calling that a victory.

 

[Roy114]

It's like getting over losing a videogame and calling that a victory.

If that person happens to get mad over losing videogames alot, but then manages to stay calm for once, that would be a victory for that person. Its just not a victory in the way that you would prefer. Obviously we all crave for something to rid us completely of T or H, but that's just not gonna happen any time soon. So me and alot of others here will take the little victories and successes until then.

 

[threefirefour]

If that person happens to get mad over losing videogames alot, but then manages to stay calm for once, that would be a victory for that person. Its just not a victory in the way that you would prefer. Obviously we all crave for something to rid us completely of T or H, but that's just not gonna happen any time soon. So me and alot of others here will take the little victories and successes until then.

No because he still lost the game. He didn't beat it. See how that works, or just pretending not to?

 

[Roy114]

No because he still lost the game. He didn't beat it. See how that works, or just pretending not to?

He lost the game, yet he won something in real life. Losing one thing doesn't nullify winning something else. You should at least try to understand that.

 

[threefirefour]

He lost the game, yet he won something in real life. Losing one thing doesn't nullify winning something else. You should at least try to understand that.

You're deliberately trying to avoid the logic in my example. You should look at why you're doing that.

 

[Roy114]

You're deliberately trying to avoid the logic in my example. You should look at why you're doing that.

Not avoiding it, just telling you my own logic. You seem like the person that doesn't want to hear opinions that differ from yours, so I'll stop this pointless discussion.

 

[threefirefour]

Not avoiding it, just telling you my own logic. You seem like the person that doesn't want to hear opinions that differ from yours, so I'll stop this pointless discussion.

No I do. You're just ignoring the logic right before your face, which is academically dishonest.

He lost the game, yet he won something in real life. Losing one thing doesn't nullify winning something else. You should at least try to understand that.

Like for example: He may have "won" something in real life, but he still lost the game. So it's wrong to say he won the game.

 

[Roy114]

Like for example: He may have "won" something in real life, but he still lost the game. So it's wrong to say he won the game.

I never claimed that he won the game. I just said that he had a victory, just not the one you or he would've preferred. And no I have no idea why I still respond after saying I'd stop the discussion. Nothing better to do right now I guess.

 

[threefirefour]

I never claimed that he won the game. I just said that he had a victory, just not the one you or he would've preferred. And no I have no idea why I still respond after saying I'd stop the discussion. Nothing better to do right now I guess.

Sure. But not a success at the game see? Maybe a story like this would be best posted on an anxiety forum, because that's where the victory is. Not tinnitus.