Like many others, I feel like I owe it to all the newbies to share my tinnitus success story. I developed bilateral tinnitus in October of 2009, I was 27. I have no clue what caused it, but I have had a history of anxiety/panic attacks. I had no hearing loss. At that time, I initially freaked out. But eventually dealt with it and carried on. I was used to sleeping with a fan. So I masked it every night and just tried to never be in silence. I always protected my ears with custom ear plugs. Still do.
Fast forward 7 years- about 5 months ago. I noticed a new noise in my right ear. For some reason I didn't find it a big deal, I basically ignored it, and it went away. Then a few months later, the noise came back. It kept getting worse, and louder. I freaked out. I went into full flight or flight mode, and this is where it all went to hell. It started reacting to noise- any and all noise. The more noise the louder and different the tinnitus became. I couldn't mask it anymore. I couldn't dry my hair. I couldn't even use the microwave without my tinnitus reacting or me panicking. Then the "head" noises started. I heard all these random new noises in my head. It was unbearable. I went to the ER, they gave me meds I didn't take. I couldn't sleep. I lost 7 lbs in 2 weeks (I only weigh 120lbs so that was a lot). My marriage was being affected. I couldn't eat. I could barely work. I thought my life was over.
Then, it was Easter. I didn't have a choice- I had to function that day. I had to go to my in-laws and I had to make the hour drive later in the day to my parents. I was distracted that day- by food, people, etc. I thought about my tinnitus A LOT that day. But not as much as the previous day. I had fun, I ate, I laughed with my cousins. I thought, if I can get through this day I can get through the next. That's when things started to improve.
Over the next couple months I would take one day at a time. Improving a little each day, thinking less about it each day, researching less about tinnitus each day. At first I would go 2 minutes without thinking about it, the next day 10 minutes, the next week 1 HR etc. As soon as I stopped stressing about it, as soon as I got out of fight or flight mode, it improved. The head noises stopped and it went back to just my "old" tinnitus and my "new" noise. Slowly it stopped being so reactive to noise. I didn't think about my tinnitus at all today. I didn't "check" it once. I used to plug my ears and check how loud it was at least every 2-5 minutes- no joke. Today I drank wine and laughed and listened to music in the car without worrying. Today I dried my hair without even thinking twice about it.
Here's how I did it:
1) I changed my mind set- I started thinking positively and using my own cognitive behavioral therapy. I told myself, there are people with far worse things. I'm not going blind, I'm not paralyzed,I told myself that this is an annoyance, not a life ending disease. When I started thinking negatively I made myself think of something positive.
2) I download the apps "Sleep Well" and "End Anxiety." These seriously saved my life. They are hypnosis apps that help me sleep. I still use them every night. They are amazing!!! I didn't think I was even able to be hypnotized. They seriously put me right to sleep. Best $2.99 I've ever spent. I can't recommend them enough. Lack of sleep really messed me up and made me so much more stressed.
3) I went to cranial sacral therapy. Now I know this isn't for everyone. And I don't think it's a cure-all by any means. BUT, I found a great therapist, and we really clicked. The first time I went was the first night I was able to sleep in my bed all night (I would start off in bed and then move to the couch to go watch tv or just get up because I couldn't sleep).
4) I stopped masking. I wish I would have done this my first 7 years of tinnitus. I stopped fully masking my tinnitus at night. Now I just play my hypnosis app and then leave the music from the app running all night on a low volume. This has really made me feel comfortable with hearing my tinnitus. With my old tinnitus, if it wasn't fully masked I couldn't deal. I couldn't stand hearing it at all. I wasn't able to habituate because I never allowed myself to hear it.
5) If I came to this site I only read success stories
6)I forced myself back into a routine and to live normal life. Eating meals, working out, working regular hours, seeing friends, sleeping in my own bed. I drank coffee. I drank wine. This sense of normalcy decreased my stressed and helped distract me. My life didn't revolve around tinnitus anymore.
My tinnitus has backed off since my life has gotten back to normal. But it's still there. It was louder than it is now, but it's still loud. If I listen for it I can hear it when I drive, when I'm watching tv, when I'm standing next to a river like I was earlier this week. I don't have little quiet,barely there, tinnitus. I have loud intrusive tinnitus. But guess what? I really don't care. I have no negative reaction to it. If you were to have told me I would be at this point 2 months ago I would have laughed in your face. I did it and you will too. It's amazing what our bodies can get used to. if you have any questions or need help, please ask. No one needs to go through the lows of what I went through. It's just not with it!! I don't think I will ever be one of those people that forget they have tinnitus. I worry too much about protecting my ears for that- always have my ear plugs etc. But if I can always deal with my tinnitus as well as I deal with it right now, that's okay with me!
Fast forward 7 years- about 5 months ago. I noticed a new noise in my right ear. For some reason I didn't find it a big deal, I basically ignored it, and it went away. Then a few months later, the noise came back. It kept getting worse, and louder. I freaked out. I went into full flight or flight mode, and this is where it all went to hell. It started reacting to noise- any and all noise. The more noise the louder and different the tinnitus became. I couldn't mask it anymore. I couldn't dry my hair. I couldn't even use the microwave without my tinnitus reacting or me panicking. Then the "head" noises started. I heard all these random new noises in my head. It was unbearable. I went to the ER, they gave me meds I didn't take. I couldn't sleep. I lost 7 lbs in 2 weeks (I only weigh 120lbs so that was a lot). My marriage was being affected. I couldn't eat. I could barely work. I thought my life was over.
Then, it was Easter. I didn't have a choice- I had to function that day. I had to go to my in-laws and I had to make the hour drive later in the day to my parents. I was distracted that day- by food, people, etc. I thought about my tinnitus A LOT that day. But not as much as the previous day. I had fun, I ate, I laughed with my cousins. I thought, if I can get through this day I can get through the next. That's when things started to improve.
Over the next couple months I would take one day at a time. Improving a little each day, thinking less about it each day, researching less about tinnitus each day. At first I would go 2 minutes without thinking about it, the next day 10 minutes, the next week 1 HR etc. As soon as I stopped stressing about it, as soon as I got out of fight or flight mode, it improved. The head noises stopped and it went back to just my "old" tinnitus and my "new" noise. Slowly it stopped being so reactive to noise. I didn't think about my tinnitus at all today. I didn't "check" it once. I used to plug my ears and check how loud it was at least every 2-5 minutes- no joke. Today I drank wine and laughed and listened to music in the car without worrying. Today I dried my hair without even thinking twice about it.
Here's how I did it:
1) I changed my mind set- I started thinking positively and using my own cognitive behavioral therapy. I told myself, there are people with far worse things. I'm not going blind, I'm not paralyzed,I told myself that this is an annoyance, not a life ending disease. When I started thinking negatively I made myself think of something positive.
2) I download the apps "Sleep Well" and "End Anxiety." These seriously saved my life. They are hypnosis apps that help me sleep. I still use them every night. They are amazing!!! I didn't think I was even able to be hypnotized. They seriously put me right to sleep. Best $2.99 I've ever spent. I can't recommend them enough. Lack of sleep really messed me up and made me so much more stressed.
3) I went to cranial sacral therapy. Now I know this isn't for everyone. And I don't think it's a cure-all by any means. BUT, I found a great therapist, and we really clicked. The first time I went was the first night I was able to sleep in my bed all night (I would start off in bed and then move to the couch to go watch tv or just get up because I couldn't sleep).
4) I stopped masking. I wish I would have done this my first 7 years of tinnitus. I stopped fully masking my tinnitus at night. Now I just play my hypnosis app and then leave the music from the app running all night on a low volume. This has really made me feel comfortable with hearing my tinnitus. With my old tinnitus, if it wasn't fully masked I couldn't deal. I couldn't stand hearing it at all. I wasn't able to habituate because I never allowed myself to hear it.
5) If I came to this site I only read success stories
6)I forced myself back into a routine and to live normal life. Eating meals, working out, working regular hours, seeing friends, sleeping in my own bed. I drank coffee. I drank wine. This sense of normalcy decreased my stressed and helped distract me. My life didn't revolve around tinnitus anymore.
My tinnitus has backed off since my life has gotten back to normal. But it's still there. It was louder than it is now, but it's still loud. If I listen for it I can hear it when I drive, when I'm watching tv, when I'm standing next to a river like I was earlier this week. I don't have little quiet,barely there, tinnitus. I have loud intrusive tinnitus. But guess what? I really don't care. I have no negative reaction to it. If you were to have told me I would be at this point 2 months ago I would have laughed in your face. I did it and you will too. It's amazing what our bodies can get used to. if you have any questions or need help, please ask. No one needs to go through the lows of what I went through. It's just not with it!! I don't think I will ever be one of those people that forget they have tinnitus. I worry too much about protecting my ears for that- always have my ear plugs etc. But if I can always deal with my tinnitus as well as I deal with it right now, that's okay with me!
took it too long and it is hard to get off.
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