Hi all fellow sufferers. First off, I am amazed about how many people suffer from tinnitus, and how many ways this condition presents itself. I noticed mild T about 25 years ago. I don't know how I got it or the associated hearing loss. At the time, the hearing loss was much more important to me and I marched through the years with stronger and more advanced hearing aids, raising a family, being very involved in my community, and having a wonderful career with several medical device manufacturers, where I successfully managed teams of very bright, creative, and goal-driven people. Imagine an entire department of about 25 people, all Type A personalities.
Unfortunately, my hearing loss became such that I found I was not able to do my job effectively, at the level that I expected of myself. My job entailed telephone calls, conference calls and meetings in large and small rooms. I was expected to organize and manage conference call meetings and face to face meetings. Due to the highly competitive and proprietary nature of the business, voice to text messaging was not allowed, and white sound was installed everywhere. At the same time, the company converted to a more open environment, and encouraged meetings in the several wide open spaces around the company, including outside. Life became very unhappy, and I began to experience depression and anxiety. After a year of working with my employer for viable solutions, I ended up retiring about 5 years earlier than I had planned, and also qualified for Short Term Disability, then Long Term Disability, as well as State Disability. I am in the process of applying for Social Security Disability, as well.
But what about the T? Well, that significantly ramped up after I left work. I hear all kinds of noises in both ears, everything from the pleasant tingling bells of a glass wind-chime, to loud roaring, to water running, to alarm clock buzzing. Nearly all the time I have several sounds going on at once. This can be most distressing, and my audiologist referred me to a Psychologist who is teaching me biofeedback. So far, it is too early to tell. I added an Rx medication at the recommendation of my ear doctor out of House Clinic in Los Angeles, to help calm the T, and it seems to be slightly better now. But it ramps up especially when I am feeling stressed or anxious.
I also have musical ear syndrome (also called musical hallucinations and auditory hallucinations). These hallucinations are not the same as experienced by people with the unfortunate condition of psychosis. I know the sounds are not real, but sometimes I have to check the reality by plugging my ears to find out if the music is still there. I hear repetitive nonsense snippets of music - not tunes like an earworm. These snippets are "in my head," but I also hear very discordant horns, where they sound absolutely real, and these can be accompanied by totally unrelated choral singing with no discernible words or tune, as well as orchestral snippets of nonsense, too. Again, these ramp up with I am stressed or anxious, and both ears are affected.
I can have blasting T as well as blasting "music" of various types, all at once. This is enough to put me to bed.
I am interested in knowing if anyone else has this condition, and it is allowed as a topic of discussion in this group?
Unfortunately, my hearing loss became such that I found I was not able to do my job effectively, at the level that I expected of myself. My job entailed telephone calls, conference calls and meetings in large and small rooms. I was expected to organize and manage conference call meetings and face to face meetings. Due to the highly competitive and proprietary nature of the business, voice to text messaging was not allowed, and white sound was installed everywhere. At the same time, the company converted to a more open environment, and encouraged meetings in the several wide open spaces around the company, including outside. Life became very unhappy, and I began to experience depression and anxiety. After a year of working with my employer for viable solutions, I ended up retiring about 5 years earlier than I had planned, and also qualified for Short Term Disability, then Long Term Disability, as well as State Disability. I am in the process of applying for Social Security Disability, as well.
But what about the T? Well, that significantly ramped up after I left work. I hear all kinds of noises in both ears, everything from the pleasant tingling bells of a glass wind-chime, to loud roaring, to water running, to alarm clock buzzing. Nearly all the time I have several sounds going on at once. This can be most distressing, and my audiologist referred me to a Psychologist who is teaching me biofeedback. So far, it is too early to tell. I added an Rx medication at the recommendation of my ear doctor out of House Clinic in Los Angeles, to help calm the T, and it seems to be slightly better now. But it ramps up especially when I am feeling stressed or anxious.
I also have musical ear syndrome (also called musical hallucinations and auditory hallucinations). These hallucinations are not the same as experienced by people with the unfortunate condition of psychosis. I know the sounds are not real, but sometimes I have to check the reality by plugging my ears to find out if the music is still there. I hear repetitive nonsense snippets of music - not tunes like an earworm. These snippets are "in my head," but I also hear very discordant horns, where they sound absolutely real, and these can be accompanied by totally unrelated choral singing with no discernible words or tune, as well as orchestral snippets of nonsense, too. Again, these ramp up with I am stressed or anxious, and both ears are affected.
I can have blasting T as well as blasting "music" of various types, all at once. This is enough to put me to bed.
I am interested in knowing if anyone else has this condition, and it is allowed as a topic of discussion in this group?
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