Meditation

[Jazzer]

I am quite new to this forum and would like to mention a strategy that is helping me to cope.

I usually do 20 minutes meditation while laying in the comfort of my warm bath,
also sometimes in a very comfy armchair.

I close my eyes and relax, allowing my breathing to slow right down quite naturally.

When I have reached the appropriate stage of relaxation, I begin my simple routine:

Exhale slowly, while 'thinking' the syllable "ease"
then inhale slowly, while thinking the syllable "ey."

Eas-y... Eas-y... Eas-y... Eas-y...

Several times....

As the breathing carries on in this rhythm,
now without the need of the mantra,
allow yourself to hear the tinnitus sound.

Maintain the slow gentle breathing, while hearing the sound, give this some time to establish,
you may approach a near hypnotic state of deep relaxation,
you may fall into a comfortable sleep-like state.

Your tinnitus sound is becoming associated with relaxation and peace.

Stay with this for as long as you wish.

Eventually count down (think down) from ten to one.

Open your eyes, and take some deep breaths.

When you become aware of your tinnitus throughout the day, instead of feeling angry, stressed, or worried, remind yourself that this is actually the sound of your relaxation

Eas-y... Eas-y... Eas-y... Eas-y...

Simple, but very effective for me,
it has been a great help....
I practice this routine daily.

I hope it helps.
We need all the help we can get.

Love,
Jazzer xx

 

[Kolisar]

Hi @Jazzer,

Thank you for posting this. I have seen mediation come up here quite often, giving people simple, easy to follow directions will help many on this forum.

 

[pathworker2017]

Often it is the simple things that people overlook. I employ a similar approach when I have trouble nodding off to sleep.

 

[Aurélien]

Hey everyone,
I start to seriously believe the power of meditation.

I have been kind of stressed out by my tinnitus, but I always have been kind of stressed and anxious, and used to get away from that by partying, smoking and loud music. This what caused my tinnitus.
I have read countless articles saying about how powerful is meditation.

Right now I have been doing it for 20 minutes a day for a week, I am going to try to meditate 1 hour a day. I also have a strange feeling when I meditate. I meditate in silence so my tinnitus is loud as fuck. But it does not annoy me I feel really peaceful deep inside.

I will keep you up with my meditation journey every week I think. I have also quitted smoking.

 

[erik]

Meditation is great. I will add that there are some great free phone apps that can assist with mediation and relaxation

 

[Starthrower]

Yes meditation has helped me a lot. But not quiet meditation. I need the guided CD to help me get into the state of relaxation. Pretty cool different techniques now.

I found a new hypnotherapist who is helping me with the guided mediation. Belief is the most important constant for me.

 

[Aurélien]

Day 3 right now.
I feel super anxious from nicotine withdraw, which make me focus on my T and then you know what's happening next. I could not focus so much at work today, but I feel pretty calm and present when I am talking to people but I am pretty sure it is the right path to choose, it's giving me confidence.
I have schedule an appoitment with two doctors, one to check my back and another to check my shin bone which has some problem.
I will not fuck any other part of my body like I did for my ears. It will not happen and I will keep my lovely lung safe .

 

[emmalee]

Hey everyone,
I start to seriously believe the power of meditation.

I have been kind of stressed out by my tinnitus, but I always have been kind of stressed and anxious, and used to get away from that by partying, smoking and loud music. This what caused my tinnitus.
I have read countless articles saying about how powerful is meditation.

Right now I have been doing it for 20 minutes a day for a week, I am going to try to meditate 1 hour a day. I also have a strange feeling when I meditate. I meditate in silence so my tinnitus is loud as fuck. But it does not annoy me I feel really peaceful deep inside.

I will keep you up with my meditation journey every week I think. I have also quitted smoking.

I believe in the power of meditation, also. Yoga and mindfulness are two other strategies that work for me. It took some time for it to all make sense, if that makes any sense, lol. All three coping strategies help me with the anxiety that tinnitus can cause.

Good for you for quitting the smoking habit.

 

[emmalee]

Belief is the most important constant for me.

The same is true for me, @Starthrower.

 

[Lane]

I just ran across the following quote, and thought it was a natural fit for this thread and the topics of meditation and coping:

"Creative people who cherish the gift of life often slip into the secret chambers of the creative mind. Their solutions are well-rounded, more sensible than those of people who rely solely upon reason as their mainstay. Gratitude unseals fountains of creativity, because a grateful person is relaxed. This allows him to take stock of his circumstances with an objective mind. A creative person often gets three-dimensional answers to his problems."

 

[Aurélien]

I just ran across the following quote, and thought it was a natural fit for this thread and the topics of meditation and coping:

"Creative people who cherish the gift of life often slip into the secret chambers of the creative mind. Their solutions are well-rounded, more sensible than those of people who rely solely upon reason as their mainstay. Gratitude unseals fountains of creativity, because a grateful person is relaxed. This allows him to take stock of his circumstances with an objective mind. A creative person often gets three-dimensional answers to his problems."

What you are saying is so true. I have read things about stoicism lately, I need to try TRT to cure my "soft" hyperacusis and accept my tinnitus, I did not accept it fully, so I guess it is triggering an anxiety reaction.

 

[emmalee]

I just ran across the following quote, and thought it was a natural fit for this thread and the topics of meditation and coping:

"Creative people who cherish the gift of life often slip into the secret chambers of the creative mind. Their solutions are well-rounded, more sensible than those of people who rely solely upon reason as their mainstay. Gratitude unseals fountains of creativity, because a grateful person is relaxed. This allows him to take stock of his circumstances with an objective mind. A creative person often gets three-dimensional answers to his problems."

I love this quote, @Lane, especially the first sentence.

 

[InfiniteLoop]

Meditation and yoga are some of the few tools available to deal with this mind bending condition. Pain is unavoidable, but suffering is optional (at some extent )...
I have been practicing the high technology path to meditation assisted by neurofeedback: www.choosemuse.com.

 

[emmalee]

Meditation and yoga are some of the few tools available to deal with this mind bending condition. Pain is unavoidable, but suffering is optional (at some extent )...
I have been practicing the high technology path to meditation assisted by neurofeedback: www.choosemuse.com.

This is very interesting, @InfiniteLoop.

 

[GlennS]

I find it impossible to meditate. I can focus on a task (which is my main strategy for habituation in conjunction with masking) but I can't free myself of thoughts with the ringing going on.

 

[emmalee]

I find it impossible to meditate. I can focus on a task (which is my main strategy for habituation in conjunction with masking) but I can't free myself of thoughts with the ringing going on.

It's not an easy thing to do @GlennS. I found this bit of info to be useful.......

https://zenhabits.net/meditation-guide/

 

[InfiniteLoop]

I find it impossible to meditate. I can focus on a task (which is my main strategy for habituation in conjunction with masking) but I can't free myself of thoughts with the ringing going on.

There are two schools of thought about tinnitus and meditation: One group claims that meditation is not helpful because it makes you focus on the noise instead of "ignoring" it. The other group states that focusing on the noise in a friendly environment is beneficial to remove the negative meaning of tinnitus.

I tend to agree with the second group, even if the early days on meditation were difficult. At this point in my tinnitus journey, I know that there is no treatment, supplement, prescription, sound therapy, etc... that mitigates the noise in any significant way, and the only way to survive is facing the noise as is, in all its incomprehensible ugliness.

 

[GlennS]

I just think the moment I deliberately focus on T I am mentally knocking over the mental jenga puzzle of my habituation. So trying to use it like a mantra would be counterproductive. I can relax to masking sounds like running water and storms and the seashore and wind chimes but T is just inherently grating and simply not conducive to relaxation.

 

[Jazzer]

@InfiniteLoop, @GlennS, @emmalee

In five years of experimenting I have tried many different strategies.
This one works for me.
—————————————————-
The crucial elements for me are:
A lovely warm bath.
Tummy breathing - assume a natural rhythm.
Hear your Tinnitus - but do not listen to it.
Do not concentrate on it.
It just happens to be there.
Think the word 'deep' with each out breath,
Think the word '-er' with each in breath.
'Deep - er.....Deep-er.....Deep-er.......'
Drift off into a meditative slumber.
—————————————————
Have any of you tried this?

 

[emmalee]

There are two schools of thought about tinnitus and meditation: One group claims that meditation is not helpful because it makes you focus on the noise instead of "ignoring" it. The other group states that focusing on the noise in a friendly environment is beneficial to remove the negative meaning of tinnitus.

This is true. Like you, I believe that focusing on the noise in a friendly environment is beneficial, an acceptance, if you will, that the tinnitus is now a part of me and I must learn how to cope and live with it.

There is no ignoring the noise, this is a fact.

 

[emmalee]

Have any of you tried this?

I haven't tried this exactly as you describe, Dave. I do, however practice various breathing techniques while doing yoga/meditation/mindfulness.

 

[TheDanishGirl]

I find it impossible to meditate. I can focus on a task (which is my main strategy for habituation in conjunction with masking) but I can't free myself of thoughts with the ringing going on.

Same.

I tried meditation, but I couldn't keep it up cause it actually made focus even more on the ringing, and made me more distressed as a result. Distraction, masking... and a bit of yoga... seems to be the only thing that help me a little. But there are many times when not even those are enough for me.

 

[Jazzer]

I called into a Tinnitus clinic in Dordrecht where they utilise the the Exposure Therapy model devised in Maastricht.

The patient is encouraged to actively focus on their Tinnitus noise, over several sessions to overcome their fear of Tinnitus.
I did experiment with this idea for a few days but got to loathe my noise even more.

I believe that meditation, where you will obviously hear your Tinnitus
'but without listening to it at all'
is very much more beneficial, as you can achieve a relaxed meditative state despite it.

 

[InfiniteLoop]

Same.

I tried meditation, but I couldn't keep it up cause it actually made focus even more on the ringing, and made me more distressed as a result. Distraction, masking... and a bit of yoga... seems to be the only thing that help me a little. But there are many times when not even those are enough for me.

During meditation I hear more the noise, but I listen to it less. I use it as a mantra, and try to create a space where what is left of my brain and the noise can coexist.
I meditate every day about 30 min, I practice yoga every other day. Life is still very hard. It still feels more like surviving rather than enjoying my time on planet Earth. I used to have a blessed life, now it is a blessed half life.

 

[Jazzer]

During meditation I hear more the noise, but I listen to it less. I use it as a mantra, and try to create a space where what is left of my brain and the noise can coexist.
I meditate every day about 30 min, I practice yoga every other day. Life is still very hard. It still feels more like surviving rather than enjoying my time on planet Earth. I used to have a blessed life, now it is a blessed half life.

IL - I must admit something here.
I am 76 years old.
From age 15 I wanted to be a jazz trombonist.
I made the grade, and played professionally for 55 years. I heard all of the other trombonists on our scene over here, and nobody worried me.
I knew I had something special to say.

Now all that is gone - but I made plenty of LPs CDs Videos etc.... to look back on.
I had a life.
I did much of what I wanted to do before noise stopped me.
I feel so sorry for all of the younger people on here.
So so sad.
So sorry my friend
Dave x
Jazzer

 

[Jazzer]

I am aware that this short thread dates back to 23/10/2017 - and I would just like to confirm that the longer I have persevered with my meditation the less significant my tinnitus has become.
Yes - yes - it's still there - but 'so what.'

I am no longer living in 'purgatory.'
Whether this is a success story, or mere fatalism, I am not equipped to tell.
I would encourage everybody to meditate.

Do not listen to your Tinnitus!
- just be prepared to 'hear it' and move on into a comfortable meditative state of peace.
Give yourself permission to be peaceful.

You all know me by now.
I am not a bullshitter.
Practice it daily, until the Tinnitus backs off, and the meditation takes over.

Dave x
Jazzer

PS - will it bother me again - almost certainly - but I will have a good idea what to do about it xx

 

[linearb]

@Jazzer love the update here; keep at it, brother!

For better or worse my medication is making the meditation a bit less necessary for dealing with the tinnitus, but I'm a tremendous asshole as a general rule, and sticking with some metta/loving kindness meditation does wonders for that!

 

[emmalee]

I am no longer living in 'purgatory.'
Whether this is a success story, or mere fatalism, I am not equipped to tell.
I would encourage everybody to meditate.

I think what many don't understand is that meditation is a coping strategy, not a cure. The same is true when discussing mindfulness, the two are closely related.

Every single one of us here on TT, and other tinnitus victims all over the planet, want and need a cure. In the interim we need to be able to cope with the day to day anxiety and stress that comes with tinnitus. Meditation and mindfulness can and does help many of us to do just this, cope. I also realize that it may not be possible for everyone, but if even one soul can find some relief then it is a success, no matter how small of a success.

 

[Aurélien]

I think what many don't understand is that meditation is a coping strategy, not a cure. The same is true when discussing mindfulness, the two are closely related.

Every single one of us here on TT, and other tinnitus victims all over the planet, want and need a cure. In the interim we need to be able to cope with the day to day anxiety and stress that comes with tinnitus. Meditation and mindfulness can and does help many of us to do just this, cope. I also realize that it may not be possible for everyone, but if even one soul can find some relief then it is a success, no matter how small of a success.

I think what you guys here don't understand is the goal of meditation.
Meditation is mainly about thinking LESS. And thinking calm. And trust me 99% of the time what makes us anxious is more our thought than REAL facts. *what if my tinnitus get worse, what if what if* then you start feeling anxious, listening to your T then thinking omg my life is so shitty!!

My tinnitus did not bother me that much, until month 8, where I understood I might have it for life because the volume did not change from the beginning. I copied with my T by thinking yea it'll go away whatever. And then after 8 months with T I started to feel anxious like "omg my H is still here, my T is still here, I am 22 yo, am I fucked?".

Then I sat down, I thought. How did I get T ? From two things: loud music throught headphone *and thinking while destroying my ears* and from drinking a lot + clubbing like a retard. I was escaping life, I was not living my life, I was doing shitty thing that would end one day or another by destroy my health, tinnitus maybe saved me. Meditation is hard at first, because I was thinking, thinking and thinking.

But Meditation is not a cure for T, it's a cure for life. And I already feel a lot better, a lot more present. I am also going to quit this forum after those 30 days.

 

[Lane]

I was escaping life, I was not living my life, I was doing shitty thing that would end one day or another by destroy my health, tinnitus maybe saved me. Meditation is hard at first, because I was thinking, thinking and thinking. ...... But Meditation is not a cure for T, it's a cure for life. And I already feel a lot better, a lot more present. I am also going to quit this forum after those 30 days.

@Aurélien -- I applaud you on gaining these important insights into your life; a valuable thing to discover at such a young age. -- I'm curious, and wondering what you meant by quitting this forum after "those 30 days". Care to share a bit more on that?

Regarding meditation: I first tried it many years ago with Transcendental Meditation, but noticed after a while that it was making me lethergic. So instead of trying to fit myself to it, I set it aside and waited for something to come along that was a better fit for me.

I eventually discovered a contemplative practice that added the elements of love and creativity, which appealed to me. It worked really well for me as it didn't make me lethergic like meditation. I experienced a number of positive changes I was hoping for (even my family noticed), and I found it to be easier to practice as well. The basis of this "exercise" is described in this brief 3-minute introductory video, in case you'd be interested.

Congratulations on your new and healthier outlike on life!