My Success Story: 6 Years of Tinnitus

[Shelbytonkin]

Hey!

So, my tinnitus appeared when I was 16 years old. It's likely that it came about from overexposure to loud music and genetic predisposition (my dad has tinnitus too). For the first year, I thought my life was over. I cried all the time and couldn't stand to be in a quiet room alone. I am sure that this is all something you guys are familiar with.

In order to find hope, I went on communities and forums like this one... I read success stories, researched potential cures and posted my own struggles within that first year. By the time I turned 18, I was still deeply regretful of my tinnitus but it no longer ruled my life. Now I am 22 and I must say that I don't even notice it anymore.

Look, long story short, I always promised myself that I would return to forums to post my success story one day cause I remember how I felt back when tinnitus and I first became acquainted. These stories do help others who need to see that life does get better. Eventually, your brain will learn to ignore the sound of the tinnitus and you'll no longer hear it in your everyday life unless you listen for it or are in a quiet room. Even then, I can almost find tinnitus to be a comfort like the sound of rain or the ocean.

So, ultimately, what I want to say to those people struggling is this: it does get better. Time heals all wounds - even tinnitus.

 

[another sean]

Thanks for sharing

 

[Apolonia]

Thank you for sharing your story. Do you listen to music today? How do you cope with loud places? Do you still protect yourself?? Because even though our brains habituate, unfortunately the ears are still endangered. I can cope with tinnitus, but I am very much scared of causing more harm. I like listening and performing music and I just don't know how to do it without causing more harm to myself.... I guess I will completely destroy my ears by the time I am 30 or maybe sooner.... I can wear earplugs... but I don't believe that is the best solution when it comes to singing....

 

[Shelbytonkin]

Hey, so I know this may not be the answer you're looking for but I'll reply with my own experiences. So, I must admit when I first got tinnitus I was incredibly anxious about the damage to my hearing. I did multiple hearing tests and I did have some damage - I was hearing at the ability of a thirty year old and not a teen. However, I did not stop listening to music or start wearing plugs at parties as I knew that just because I had tinnitus now my hearing wasn't going to degrade any faster than any other person. Which meant I only needed to be more reasonable with my music. So, I started wearing out of ear headphones and never turning the volume up past halfway on my iPod.

Therefore, my advise is this: don't over stress so much about further damaging your hearing. If you want to take precautions then take them (I recommend it) but you do not need to do anything that a tinnitus-free musician would not do like earplugs while singing. Don't deafen yourself in order to not deafen yourself - just be smart about music volume with things like inner ear headphones and don't stand next to huge amps for hours. I hope this helps and good luck with your music.

 

[Roy114]

Hi,

Thanks for sharing your story. Mine is very similar. I got tinnitus from loud music about 1,5 years ago. I went to a music festival every month and never wore hearing protection. My own stupid fault I guess. I still go to festivals now but with custom made earplugs, and I feel like my tinnitus doesn't get worse, so thats something. Also I guess for me its genetic predisposition too, since my dad also has tinnitus.

Its been a while now and I still didn't get used to it. I just feel like every fun moment I have with my friends would be so much more fun without this horrendous sound in my ear all the time. And since I'm only 21 this should be the most fun time of my life. This is the thought that gets me down the most. My life was perfect before this, great friends, fun education, healthy and fit, and then suddenly tinnitus comes and screws it all up. I still didn't get over that fact, which causes me to not feel happy anymore. My tinnitus can be heared over everything if I start thinking about it(which I do alot). If I actually distract myself most everyday sounds can mask it, but just the fact that I CAN hear it once I start thinking about it sucks.

I'm happy for you that you manage to deal with it so well. How long did it take you to actually feel comfortable with the condition to the point of not letting it rule your life? Would love to get some advice if you feel like giving it.

 

[Shelbytonkin]

Hi,



I'm happy for you that you manage to deal with it so well. How long did it take you to actually feel comfortable with the condition to the point of not letting it rule your life? Would love to get some advice if you feel like giving it.

Yeah I know how you feel. I was 16 when I got it so I can relate but it probably took until I was 18 to accept it. Cause, you eventually realise nothing bad has actually happened. I'm not deaf or less fun. I still have friends nd a future. Eventually Your brain stops hearing it in everyday life too unless you listen for it so honestly over time it just stops mattering. It's hard for you to believe that now but trust me.

 

[MeBeSurfer]

Yeah I know how you feel. I was 16 when I got it so I can relate but it probably took until I was 18 to accept it. Cause, you eventually realise nothing bad has actually happened. I'm not deaf or less fun. I still have friends nd a future. Eventually Your brain stops hearing it in everyday life too unless you listen for it so honestly over time it just stops mattering. It's hard for you to believe that now but trust me.

Thanks for sharing this. My biggest fear in life right now is just that I'll end up one of those people that is still writing about how tortured they are 10 years later. I see them on here and other places all the time. Wonder why they can't habituate, but others can. It baffles and scares the bajeeezeez out of me.

 

[WaqasVic]

Pretty cool, it's been 5 years, sometimes it bothers me, sometimes I won't let it. Either way, life is going onnnnnn xD

 

[dpdx]

Thanks for sharing this. My biggest fear in life right now is just that I'll end up one of those people that is still writing about how tortured they are 10 years later. I see them on here and other places all the time. Wonder why they can't habituate, but others can. It baffles and scares the bajeeezeez out of me.

Because different people have different volume of Tinnitus. I had mild tinnitus and it was like my life was normal. Now i have Severe Hyperacusis and Severe Tinnitus and let me tell you there is no focusing, concentrating, sleeping, enjoying life, its a torture literally. Every day when I wake up I feel bad knowing my day will suck , in my dreams i cant hear T.

 

[MeBeSurfer]

Because different people have different volume of Tinnitus. I had mild tinnitus and it was like my life was normal. Now i have Severe Hyperacusis and Severe Tinnitus and let me tell you there is no focusing, concentrating, sleeping, enjoying life, its a torture literally. Every day when I wake up I feel bad knowing my day will suck , in my dreams i cant hear T.

Well on the bright side, it can't be that bad if you don't hear it during your dreams. I hear mine in my dreams all the time.

 

[threefirefour]

Because different people have different volume of Tinnitus. I had mild tinnitus and it was like my life was normal. Now i have Severe Hyperacusis and Severe Tinnitus and let me tell you there is no focusing, concentrating, sleeping, enjoying life, its a torture literally. Every day when I wake up I feel bad knowing my day will suck , in my dreams i cant hear T.

Don't bother using reason this guy. I tried to make this VERY point to him and he just said "You should see a therapist hur dur".

 

[dpdx]

Don't bother using reason this guy. I tried to make this VERY point to him and he just said "You should see a therapist hur dur".

 

[MeBeSurfer]

Don't bother using reason this guy. I tried to make this VERY point to him and he just said "You should see a therapist hur dur".

Exact quote too. Good job. You were one of the more pessimistic posts in a success forum. So ya, def sticking to my rec that you see a therapist and anyone else having a hard time with this. I'm going myself, so I'm not sure why you are so negative about it.

 

[threefirefour]

Exact quote too. Good job. You were one of the more pessimistic posts in a success forum. So ya, def sticking to my rec that you see a therapist and anyone else having a hard time with this. I'm going myself, so I'm not sure why you are so negative about it.

Strengthening my point that you're not reasonable enough to see past your viewpoint. I'm pretty optimistic about current research but apparently I'm just pessimistic because I say da meen things about habituation shilling.

What was this extremely pessimistic comment I made? I said that researchers need to focus on a treatment instead of the same habituation crap we've been living with for the past forever. Yeah that's real negative isn't it? I could totally give Shopenhauer a run for his money.

The one post I made in success stories was me being glad my tinnitus reduces so I don't see your point.

 

[Autumnly]

it can't be that bad if

This is a horrible thing to say to someone struggling with tinnitus. You absolutely cannot know how bad someone's tinnitus is. On top of that, he's struggling with hyperacusis which further complicates the situation. Severe hyperacusis can be incredibly debilitating.

My biggest fear in life right now is just that I'll end up one of those people that is still writing about how tortured they are 10 years later.

Thanks, made me feel better. How about we stop throwing long-term sufferers under the bus? At least the stories I've read where people still struggle after years are because: their tinnitus is incredibly loud, their tinnitus continues to get worse, they also suffer from hyperacusis, they suffer from other health conditions.

 

[Jazzer]

Because different people have different volume of Tinnitus. I had mild tinnitus and it was like my life was normal. Now i have Severe Hyperacusis and Severe Tinnitus and let me tell you there is no focusing, concentrating, sleeping, enjoying life, its a torture literally. Every day when I wake up I feel bad knowing my day will suck , in my dreams i cant hear T.

I agree with you dpdx - T & H does all of those things to us.
It is impossible to overstate the damage it does to a person's sense of well-being, and therefore to life itself.
The only way forward seems to me to be to attempt to find an attitude, activities, practices, therapies, that may make our albeit damaged lives more liveable.

 

[Roy114]

Eventually Your brain stops hearing it in everyday life too unless you listen for it so honestly over time it just stops mattering. It's hard for you to believe that now but trust me.

Thanks for the advice. I'm almost 100% sure that within the next 5 years a solution will be found. Most likely through hair cell regeneration. There are about 8 big companies working on that solution right now. For example Frequency Therapeutics with their FX-322 which starts human texting this year. My goal is to become habituated before this moment arrives. I want to know that I'm strong enough to deal with something so mentally challenging, so that when the moment comes that I'm cured, I know that the experience made me a stronger person.

It means alot hearing a succes story from a person in a similar situation as me, both age and cause. Best of luck to you in the future!

 

[MeBeSurfer]

This is a horrible thing to say to someone struggling with tinnitus. You absolutely cannot know how bad someone's tinnitus is. On top of that, he's struggling with hyperacusis which further complicates the situation. Severe hyperacusis can be incredibly debilitating.


Thanks, made me feel better. How about we stop throwing long-term sufferers under the bus? At least the stories I've read where people still struggle after years are because: their tinnitus is incredibly loud, their tinnitus continues to get worse, they also suffer from hyperacusis, they suffer from other health conditions.

First part: True. But if he isn't hearing T in his dreams, my point was that's a huge win. But yes, you are right. Choice of words here was poor.

Second part: Apologize. Didn't realize how it sounded to long-term sufferers. Didn't mean it that way.

 

[Autumnly]

First part: True. But if he isn't hearing T in his dreams, my point was that's a huge win. But yes, you are right. Choice of words here was poor.

Second part: Apologize. Didn't realize how it sounded to long-term sufferers. Didn't mean it that way.

Thanks so much for explaining! I shouldn't jump to conclusions so quickly...