I'm Phonophobic

[fishbone]

Hi everyone,

I've realized I'm phonophobic.

I can't live a normal life due to fear of noises making tinnitus worse, which causes my tinnitus to spike due to anxiety.

I want to go out, but I'm unsure how to.

Any tips on where to start, what is okay, any help I can look for?

I am so bored of not doing anything, but I don't want the tinnitus to spike either.

Also, I want to go to places without the earplugs, any tips???

Thank you...

Possibly seeing a good audiologist that understands tinnitus and possibly talking it out with a therapist that cares about your well being can be helpful. Try to get away from the negativity and posts that breed them. Tinnitus is more of a mind thing that anything else. If all you feed that mind is fear and negativity then that's what you will possibly see.

How you think and deal with a situation can either really help you out or not help you out. Only you can help yourself out, no one else...... The fear, stress can be way worst than actual sounds at times and can do a lot to the body. Find a good therapists that possibly understands tinnitus, even if they don't understand it...educate them and just talk to them and express your issues. Meds are not always needed, talking it out can work very well.

I been in your shoes before and at times it gets me too, but my thinking and attitude gets me by when these ears ring like hell 24---7......

 

[Jazzer]

This seems to imply that nobody here has phonophobia, as it is rational to fear the sounds that might forever ruin one's life. Right?

"Normal" (as in loud, but not loud enough to be noticed by a healthy person) sounds HAVE been known to cause permanent T spikes.

He also said

so it should have been explained to him that if he wants to maximize his chance of getting the latter, he should find new ways of keeping boredom at bay.

Bill Baur always advocates caution.
He certainly has done for the past five years I have been reading his posts.
He - is - right !!!

How many of us have watched our one-time low level Tinnitus increase?

What we are advocating is sensible use of ear protection.

 

[Laurie1961]

I am older. My exposure to noise- industrial and loud music was long ago and there were a few times, after the noise stopped I heard tinnitus that fade away. This is different.

You "young kids" are constantly associating noise with it and you are blaming the noise and not the material that the headphones, cell phones, tablets, computers and even your foam ear plugs are made of.

Further, you were the generation of pajama that had the same toxic flame retardant chemical, and if you were put to bed in anything but a flame resistant crib or bassinet your parents were horrible people. Then you were the generation that got the first load of dental sealants and white fillings to keep that smile since your parents teeth cracked up and yellowed from over fluoridation with mercury amalgam punctuation. I'd seriously look into bromide based flame retardant that has been up to 60% of the total material in electronic plastic and sprayed all over circuit boards... it off gases... And, I'd do some research to find out if my pillow was flame retardant, fillings had bromide, the carpet foam, the mattress... and the effects of this chemical... I do not believe it is noise.

I am not sure if you remember KISS or HEART or but we all went to those concerts in our teens and 20's, walked out, had tinnitus for an hour sometimes, and lived the next 35 years without incident. You are rationalizing the sound as the cause and have not been made aware of the neurotoxins in your environment so these never occur to you. Happens to the best of us, every generation.

 

[Jazzer]

Try to get away from the negativity and posts that breed them. Tinnitus is more of a mind thing that anything else. If all you feed that mind is fear and negativity then that's what you will possibly see.

I have a genuine question here.
Where are these so called "posts that breed negativity and fear?"
All I see is very responsible members doing their utmost to help those making requests for help and advice.
This is supposed to be a support site, where members help each other, and that is just what we do.
Throwing vague accusations of 'fear mongering' disgusts me.
Where can I go to read these horror stories put out by those guilty of fear-mongering.
Out of interest - did any occur in this current thread?
I would like to know just who is being implicated in such posts.
Accusers should either be more specific - or withdraw their insulting comments.

And while I'm on the subject - accusations of negativity only ever reflect on those making them.
QED.

 

[Jack Straw]

This seems to imply that nobody here has phonophobia, as it is rational to fear the sounds that might forever ruin one's life. Right?

A phobia is defined as an irrational fear. There is a difference between being afraid of something and having an irrational fear. Having an irrational fear of sound is not healthy. Don't be afraid of it, just be aware that you need to avoid it.

Just like cross walks, I could die walking across, but I take the necessary precautions when going across to not get killed. I don't fear or have an irrational fear of walking across a crosswalk since there is a chance of dying, I take necessary precautions and I don't have to fear it and let it consume my life.

"Normal" (as in loud, but not loud enough to be noticed by a healthy person) sounds HAVE been known to cause permanent tinnitus spikes.

Was the spike caused by anxiety from phonophobia or actual damage? My bet is that if someone has phonophobia, it is caused by the anxiety and terror surrounding the possibility of a spike that causes it. We literally see this happen here all the time.

He also said

so it should have been explained to him that if he wants to maximize his chance of getting the latter, he should find new ways of keeping boredom at bay.

He literally made the post about how he has phonophobia because he fears his tinnitus getting worse. He wants to address the irrational fear of sound not the tinnitus. That was the point of the post...

 

[Greg Sacramento]

The OP didn't have noise induced tinnitus. I had asked within past private conversation if a certain event happened and the answer was yes. Hearing loss will develop 8 to 9 years later and tinnitus and hyperacusis several years after that. The OP should now should see tinnitus to continue to resolve.

I want to go to places without the earplugs, any tips???

You had recently asked me this question. Have ear plugs available, but don't live in complete silence.

 

[Bill Bauer]

Just like cross walks, I could die walking across, but I take the necessary precautions when going across to not get killed. I don't fear or have an irrational fear of walking across a crosswalk since there is a chance of dying, I take necessary precautions and I don't have to fear it and let it consume my life.

To improve your crosswalk analogy, we have to imagine a world where a (possibly small) fraction of tinnitus sufferers get a permanent and serious tinnitus spike as a result of using a crosswalk. One doesn't know whether one belongs to that group of tinnitus sufferers, and one could use crosswalks for years and then find out the hard way that one is part of the group. In that case, it would be rational for tinnitus sufferers to want to avoid crosswalks and to experience tremendous discomfort when forced to use one.

Was the spike caused by anxiety from phonophobia or actual damage?

It was Definitely NOT due to anxiety due to phonophobia. As I had pointed out on countless occasions, what usually happens is that one is not anxious (as one has had experiences being exposed to this kind of sound throughout his or her life, and can't imagine it having a serious life long impact). This is the reason one goes to a potentially dangerous place in the first place. THEN one gets a serous spike that can last for months, and when one learns from one's own experiences, one develops what you refer to as phonophobia.

He literally made the post about how he has phonophobia because he fears his tinnitus getting worse. He wants to address the irrational fear of sound not the tinnitus. That was the point of the post....

The problem is that his fear is not irrational. If I ever make a post asking for help with addressing my irrational fear of stepping off of skyscrapers because this fear is stopping me from pursuing my dream of flying by flapping my arms, please don't stop people trying to stop me. [I realize that my analogy isn't perfect because in my example there is a 100% chance of failure and in this case, the chance of failure is less than (possibly a lot less) 100%.]

 

[Hazel]

@Striveon, sorry your thread got highjacked by the same old arguments we've seen a million times here. I hope there's still some useful advice in there for you. Let me and @Markku know if there's anything else we can do to help.

 

[Jazzer]

Yes.

Conscientious members were genuinely attempting to help until there was the totally irrelevant suggestion of 'fear-mongering,' which effectively hijacked the thread.

 

[Michael Leigh]

On the contrary. Jack Straw's comments on fear mongering were honest and correct. There is far too much of it is purported in this forum: to abstain from normal everyday sounds and promoting the overuse of hearing protection at every opportunity and at the slightest hint of a raised sound. The only way for people like @Striveon to move forwards and banish their fears, is stop reading these erroneous posts and if needed, seek professional treatment.

Michael

 

[Jazzer]

On the contrary. Jack Straw's comments on fear mongering were honest and correct. There is far too much of it is purported in this forum: to abstain from normal everyday sounds and promoting the overuse of hearing protection at every opportunity and at the slightest hint of a raised sound. The only way for people like @Striveon to move forwards and banish their fears, is stop reading these erroneous posts and if needed, seek professional treatment.

Michael

Okay - round two.

Where is the fear mongering?
What was said?
Where are the posts?
Kindly give examples?
Who are the fear mongers?
Point them out!

What highly responsible members, like myself and @Bill Bauer, we're recommending, was cautious experimentation with ear plugs.
Simply have them in your pocket, go out and mix with the fray, and only pop them in if real discomfort occurs.
Was that negative?

No specialist on earth can do this for you.
As I keep saying - people with Tinnitus truly need to take responsibility for their condition, and learn for themselves just what they can and cannot safely do.

Does this advice represent a horror story to you.
If you had 'sensibly' read my advice above, and applied 'comprehension' to it - remember we learnt comprehension at school ? - then I would not have needed to repeat myself here.

I would like to mention something else relevant here.
Many people on this site have suffered Tinnitus for years.
Myself for 30 years.
I have learnt deep meditation.
I promote it on here to help members accept their inevitable sounds, but divorce those sounds from an emotional response.

I cured my own TMJ pain, and promote a very easy method of doing so on here.

I had the 'bottle' to make an awareness video to warn others of the danger of excessive noise.

I have spent hours PM-ing some people in really dangerous distress to try to encourage them.
I never stop trying to help others.
Do I sound like a negative person to you?

Yes - I am sick and tired of hearing words like 'negativity' and 'horror stories,' with no evidence to show of it, being banded about!

Yes - extreme Tinnitus itself is clearly horrific.
Should we not interview poor Gaby's mother?
Of course we should, and rightly so.
Is that the course that most people's 'T' will take - no of course not.

When good decent members are doing their level best to help someone 'do not pull the rug out from under their feet!'

Tinnitus Talk is essentially a very good resource.
I truly believe that, or I most definitely would not have promoted it publicly on my video, and asked for donations.

Tinnitus Talk is clearly not perfect
- nothing can be.

But we do not need anybody
Gung-ho riding shot-gun.

Dave x
Jazzer

PS - just about the most disgusting insult you can make to a Tinnitus survivor is to refer to them as being negative.
They are actually heroic survivors.

 

[erik]

Give it a rest jazzer!

 

[Jazzer]

Give it a rest jazzer!

Can I put me feet up now then Eric?

(You have to stand up for
what you stand up for !)

 

[Michael Leigh]

Okay - round two.

@Jazzer

As I have previously said, I am not going to engage in a long drawn out debate with you, so this is not going to be round two. Those that are guilty of promoting the overuse of hearing protection and advising members to abstain from normal everyday sounds know who they are. It instils fear and negative thinking and ultimately causes harm. No way is this good constructive advice on how to treat tinnitus and hyperacusis.

I wish you well.
Michael

 

[just1morething]

I used the word 'shit' - is that really an expletive.
We all take a couple of those a day (I hope!)

Someone told me if you eat your own shit it can reduce your noise 80% or more. You need to have several bottles of listerine available though.

Some people have a shit eating grin on their face.

 

[Jazzer]

@Jazzer

As I have previously said, I am not going to engage in a long drawn out debate with you, so this is not going to be round two. Those that are guilty of promoting the overuse of hearing protection and advising members to abstain from normal everyday sounds know who they are. It instils fear and negative thinking and ultimately causes harm. No way is this good constructive advice on how to treat tinnitus and hyperacusis.

I wish you well.
Michael

Well I've not got a pickled clue who they might be
- or even what was said?
Specifics are clearly elusive.

 

[Bill Bauer]

There is far too much of it is purported in this forum: to abstain from normal everyday sounds and promoting the overuse of hearing protection at every opportunity and at the slightest hint of a raised sound.

The advice is not to abstain from normal everyday sounds. The advice is: "if normal everyday sounds have been causing serious spikes for you, listen to the signals given to you by your own body and act accordingly"

 

[GSC]

I don't know how to exactly conquer phonophobia, but having ear plugs on your person at all times should definitely curb the anxiety some, because you have your first line of defense. And if you think, what if a sudden noise happens, consider always covering your ears or carrying your peltor muffs with you. <-- That's what I do. Anyway, what I do or think, is use the toilet flushing as my breach point and sense of measurement? If it's louder than the toilet flushing then I bounce... but... maybe you can take small steps by keeping a journal and be honest with yourself. Note down what noises cause your ears discomfort, and if NONE do, then jot down which sounds make your ears feel weird.

When you have your mind open to the knowledge of what's actually a distress to your ear, then you gain wisdom in knowing and seeing it in front of you. Maybe write down what MAIN sounds scare you and compare what ones actually cause your ears distress, discomfort, pain, weirdness, muffled feeling, blocked feeling or anything like that. You'll be able to maybe... narrow down what spots you can and can not visit if they are very specific sounds.

 

[kmohoruk]

Start sound therapy with an audiologist to help with the fear of sound and see a psychiatrist for CBT.

Stop reading the fear mongering here. Your therapist will probably advise you not read stuff on here anymore, which I agree.

You have been here long enough to get the information you need. Now leave before you let this consume you.

I agree with the CBT clinician /phycologist comment. In my case, a CBT tinnitus clinician is what helped me move forward in my life. They may be hard to find where you live, but if you can find someone who specializes in CBT and tinnitus then that may be really beneficial.

If you want details of my experience @Striveon , you can view them here

 

[Jazzer]

I don't know how to exactly conquer phonophobia, but having ear plugs on your person at all times should definitely curb the anxiety some, because you have your first line of defense. And if you think, what if a sudden noise happens, consider always covering your ears or carrying your peltor muffs with you. <-- That's what I do. Anyway, what I do or think, is use the toilet flushing as my breach point and sense of measurement? If it's louder than the toilet flushing then I bounce... but... maybe you can take small steps by keeping a journal and be honest with yourself. Note down what noises cause your ears discomfort, and if NONE do, then jot down which sounds make your ears feel weird.

When you have your mind open to the knowledge of what's actually a distress to your ear, then you gain wisdom in knowing and seeing it in front of you. Maybe write down what MAIN sounds scare you and compare what ones actually cause your ears distress, discomfort, pain, weirdness, muffled feeling, blocked feeling or anything like that. You'll be able to maybe... narrow down what spots you can and can not visit if they are very specific sounds.

Your attitude is copy book for how to move forward @GSC - this is the right track.
Be prepared - but cautiously experiment.
Well done.

 

[Jazzer]

Someone told me if you eat your own shit it can reduce your noise 80% or more. You need to have several bottles of listerine available though.

Some people have a shit eating grin on their face.

Ask for a demonstration first buddy...x

 

[Jazzer]

The advice is not to abstain from normal everyday sounds. The advice is: "if normal everyday sounds have been causing serious spikes for you, listen to the signals given to you by your own body and act accordingly"

My Man
- the voice of good (not so) Common Sense!!
With you all the way Bill.

 

[Michael Leigh]

The advice is: "if normal everyday sounds have been causing serious spikes for you, listen to the signals given to you by your own body and act accordingly"

I would have preferred that you didn't intervene as I do not wish to prolong this discussion further. The advice above that you have given is also incorrect.

I will not be commenting further.
I wish you well.

Michael

 

[Bill Bauer]

I would have preferred that you didn't intervene

I would have preferred that You didn't write your advice that I consider to be dangerous. [Two reasons, off the top of my head:

Oh go you'll be fine they said. Wear earplugs they said.

So I went to the event with ear plugs. Was there for only a few minutes. Big mistake. Gave me low drone/hum that's worst than the high pitch hiss/eeeee, tea kettle sounds. Never went away. sigh
3 1/2 years ago.

Everyone is different. Every situation is different.
You have to make a decision and live with it.

I can't take it anymore. I don't want to die but at this stage the urge to stop suffering is stronger. Ps. To all members in this forum advising against so called "overprotection". I never exposed myself to sounds even remotely considered as being potentially harmful to healthy people but because of your advice I was exposed to sounds uncomfortable for me which eventually proved to be damaging.

At initial stages i was very weary about sound levels around me and used protection everytime I felt uncomfortable.

Only by reading TRT literature or some posts here I started to expose my self to sounds loud but never louder than 75-80 dB.

Whenever I was feeling like something is not right I was stupid enough to believe you these changes were part of "the natural process of healing".

Is this your healing? Every time you feel like giving this sort of advice have my case in mind.

]
but (up until now) it hasn't occurred to me to tell you about it.

The advice above that you have given is also incorrect.

I will not be commenting further.

How convenient and wise - now you don't have to provide any evidence/arguments to justify your statement. You are onto something.

 

[Jazzer]

Postscript (I hope.)

After all of the suggestions of 'negativity'
and 'horror stories' - that may consume you,
no evidence was found or presented.

Vindication.

 

[just1morething]

Ask for a demonstration first buddy...x

I thought you might take my good word and try it yourself buddy?...x

Some of us are quite desperate you know.

Please use listerine afterwards though.

 

[coffee_girl]

I bring ear plugs with me everywhere I go (I keep 4 on me, 1 pair in my purse, and one pair in the car). I used to be afraid of accidental noise exposure but I tell myself as long as I leave the house with ear plugs I am prepared for anything that might come up--this comforts me and allows me to live a life without fear of the unpredictable.

The good news is that paranoia seems to be a common side effect of those new to tinnitus... If anything people tend to get more 'laxed over time instead of the other way around. So practicing a "better safe than sorry" approach might be more effective at that stage than being too comfortable.

 

[Jazzer]

I bring ear plugs with me everywhere I go (I keep 4 on me, 1 pair in my purse, and one pair in the car). I used to be afraid of accidental noise exposure but I tell myself as long as I leave the house with ear plugs I am prepared for anything that might come up--this comforts me and allows me to live a life without fear of the unpredictable.

The good news is that paranoia seems to be a common side effect of those new to tinnitus... If anything people tend to get more 'laxed over time instead of the other way around. So practicing a "better safe than sorry" approach might be more effective at that stage than being too comfortable.

'Spot on - clever girl' xx

 

[Flamingo1]

An
I'm here to tell you
Jack Straw that those people know Jack Shit!

There was a time I liked corresponding with Jazzer and reading his posts. Unfortunately this is no longer the case. His use of expletives has become regular. Bad habits he has picked up from certain members that he engages with. I do not correspond with these people for this specific reason.

Jazzer, Michael and the Straw that broke the camel's back.

 

[Jazzer]

Jazzer, Michael and the Straw that broke the camel's back.

Hahahahaha - love it Flamingo!

We can now be criticised for being negative,
when we couldn't be being more positive.
Somebody just got their wires crossed I think.