Hello Holly Sorry to hear about your T. and the concert. I too am new to this and I too am facing some of the tougher questions, re. doing what you used to do, living a life. I don't know if this will help you, but I thought I would share how I am trying to 'habituate' aka. adjusting to the world of T. as I call it. I laid low for the first while, staying at home listening to the tv and music and sound therapy websites. To keep my sanity I would go out for a 1 hour walk at 1 in the morning when it is quiet. But I can't do that forever, and there are a number of things I love doing and what to get back to. I am off for the summer (I am a teacher) and I will be taking some time off to better control how I reintroduce my ears in the early stages of healing (the school I am in is a loud school, so my doctor agreed this would be a prudent action). I know I am very lucky in that I had this opportunity to control my conditions around me.
So I am starting slow and introducing my ears to experiences slowly and contained, but with the intent of learning to live again. I too have custom earplugs (25 bd) and I am getting used to them. I have ordered 15 db filters for them as well. I have started to go out to a Starbucks that is quiet in the early afternoon, have 1 small cup of coffee, breathe deeply and read alittle (something I love doing). I love driving (hence the 2 cars in the photo), but I have curtailed my longer trips in the Camaro as I was worried it affected my T., but I intend in the next couple of weeks to explore longer trips with different db earplugs. My 1970 convertible (the green car) can sit til next summer and that is a concern, but rather than focus on it, panick, I tell myself to deal with it later. I know deep down that my love for the open road need not die, the road will be there next year, and if all else fails I can get a quieter car than my Camaro not great, but not the end of the world.
So really what I am doing is changing my mindset to explore other aspects of living. You can view the problems of life as problems, or opportunities to grow and learn. I have choosen the latter. Sometimes, it is hard, my right ear is angry for 6 hours straight, and just when it quiets down, my left takes its place. I can only get through it by focusing past it, feeling it will get better, and that it will take time. It is that hope thing that really keeps me going. I feel lucky in some ways as it is fluctuating, and I think I have even had some quiet times in one ear or the other, but I know that unless I take care of my ears, and learn from my mistakes about what angers my ears, as you did with the concert, as I did by driving longer than I should, after which I too paid a price. My slowly going forward, incremental approach seems to be working for me. It is not fun, nor easy, but it is the road I am on and must take to heal and habituate. I suggest you read some of the posts in the Success Stories section on the home page (towards the bottom), and realize that can be you too.
I know I may make mistakes, and take a spike for it, but that just means I am human so long as I learn to make less of them as I attempt to not just survive, but also thrive in this world of T. I know by getting out I am redirecting my mind away from my T with distractions, which is very important, or you can too easily sit at home staring at the wall listening to it, which is not helpful. As I progress and as I heal I may be able to go to concerts to. I used to go to classical concerts and I enjoyed them very much. It just means that I must be more aware of what they are playing. Some classical pieces are wonderful, and not in your face, some of them end with a crash and band (William Tell's Overature, or the Overature to 1812) which I will have to avoid.
So one step at a time, with ear plugs, feeling like an overprotective parent to myself and slowly getting back to it. If I can do it, I know you can too. So here is to the both of us on our road to living.
Hope this helps.
JohnCC
Member
I have completely given up concerts too. It's such a bummer, but you're right, it's not worth the risk.
