Hey there, I'm Glenn. English is not my native language, but I hope we won't have any problems understanding each other. My tinnitus and hyperacusis started after attending an excessively loud festival at the end of June 2024.
I had no idea things could be THAT loud. It was my first festival, and I was wearing earplugs. It was an underground type of event—a student festival where alcohol was heavily involved (though I didn't consume any). The organizers didn't allow anyone to leave until the next morning. It was a four-day festival, and you weren't really expected to quit early without special permission from the organizers.
I know it sounds crazy. So, back to that night: the bass was extremely loud, and after 15-30 minutes, I decided to leave and go to my tent at the campsite. Even there, it was still far too loud, but I couldn't do anything because I wasn't allowed to exit. As a result, I was probably exposed to loud bass over 110 dB for around 8 hours. It was physically painful.
Now, I'm 2.5 months in, and I can't function or sleep. My tinnitus is severe. My hyperacusis isn't as bad in comparison to the sound trauma I experienced. My loudness discomfort levels (LDL) are probably around 70 dB. I genuinely feel suicidal sometimes and feel like this festival stole my life. To make matters worse, my friends who stayed for 4-5 days without hearing protection have no issues—no tinnitus, no hyperacusis, nothing. I was the one who wore protection, stayed only one night, and I'm the one suffering now. It's hard to accept.
I'm currently in a very dark place mentally. Every day starts with a mental breakdown. My life is on hold—I can't study, I can't focus, and I can't sleep. I usually get between 0-2 hours of sleep a night, or maybe 3-4 hours with heavy medication.
I feel completely lost. These past 2.5 months have been hell, and my life is upside down. I feel like if I could sleep, things might improve, but I'm still not able to sleep. Last night, I woke up every hour and only had brief moments of sleep here and there. It feels like my brain has forgotten how to sleep, and it's constantly battling the tinnitus.
I don't know how to deal with the resources I find online. There seems to be a kind of survivorship bias; people who successfully habituate rarely come back to share their stories. On some forums like Tinnitus Talk, there are success stories, but a lot of the content is still very depressing, and maybe it's true. At this point, I don't know what to believe anymore. My mental clarity feels impaired. I keep reading success stories to stay hopeful, but even with that, I feel more and more lost.
My tinnitus began 9 days after the initial trauma. At first, I experienced aural fullness but didn't think much of it. My hearing was slightly muffled in my right ear. I thought it was odd but assumed it would go away on its own. Then, 9 days later, the tinnitus started, and I panicked. I went to my GP, who gave me steroids.
I don't know what to expect anymore, and sadly, I feel very suicidal, which I have never felt before in my entire life. I spent two weeks in a psychiatric ward, but honestly, it didn't help.
My hyperacusis is mild to moderate. I can't drive with the windows open or go to a bar. I can manage the hyperacusis, but the tinnitus is just too much for me. I know this is a long post, but I really needed to express how I'm feeling about all of this.
Wishing you all the best, and I hope we can find a way to improve.
Glenn
I had no idea things could be THAT loud. It was my first festival, and I was wearing earplugs. It was an underground type of event—a student festival where alcohol was heavily involved (though I didn't consume any). The organizers didn't allow anyone to leave until the next morning. It was a four-day festival, and you weren't really expected to quit early without special permission from the organizers.
I know it sounds crazy. So, back to that night: the bass was extremely loud, and after 15-30 minutes, I decided to leave and go to my tent at the campsite. Even there, it was still far too loud, but I couldn't do anything because I wasn't allowed to exit. As a result, I was probably exposed to loud bass over 110 dB for around 8 hours. It was physically painful.
Now, I'm 2.5 months in, and I can't function or sleep. My tinnitus is severe. My hyperacusis isn't as bad in comparison to the sound trauma I experienced. My loudness discomfort levels (LDL) are probably around 70 dB. I genuinely feel suicidal sometimes and feel like this festival stole my life. To make matters worse, my friends who stayed for 4-5 days without hearing protection have no issues—no tinnitus, no hyperacusis, nothing. I was the one who wore protection, stayed only one night, and I'm the one suffering now. It's hard to accept.
I'm currently in a very dark place mentally. Every day starts with a mental breakdown. My life is on hold—I can't study, I can't focus, and I can't sleep. I usually get between 0-2 hours of sleep a night, or maybe 3-4 hours with heavy medication.
I feel completely lost. These past 2.5 months have been hell, and my life is upside down. I feel like if I could sleep, things might improve, but I'm still not able to sleep. Last night, I woke up every hour and only had brief moments of sleep here and there. It feels like my brain has forgotten how to sleep, and it's constantly battling the tinnitus.
I don't know how to deal with the resources I find online. There seems to be a kind of survivorship bias; people who successfully habituate rarely come back to share their stories. On some forums like Tinnitus Talk, there are success stories, but a lot of the content is still very depressing, and maybe it's true. At this point, I don't know what to believe anymore. My mental clarity feels impaired. I keep reading success stories to stay hopeful, but even with that, I feel more and more lost.
My tinnitus began 9 days after the initial trauma. At first, I experienced aural fullness but didn't think much of it. My hearing was slightly muffled in my right ear. I thought it was odd but assumed it would go away on its own. Then, 9 days later, the tinnitus started, and I panicked. I went to my GP, who gave me steroids.
I don't know what to expect anymore, and sadly, I feel very suicidal, which I have never felt before in my entire life. I spent two weeks in a psychiatric ward, but honestly, it didn't help.
My hyperacusis is mild to moderate. I can't drive with the windows open or go to a bar. I can manage the hyperacusis, but the tinnitus is just too much for me. I know this is a long post, but I really needed to express how I'm feeling about all of this.
Wishing you all the best, and I hope we can find a way to improve.
Glenn
Member