Hey Everyone,
I've been a long time lurker on this form and I have been able to receive some of the best and some of the worst advice that I ever received for my tinnitus. I'm at a point where I feel confident to post my success story. I felt like I was never going to get to this point, so it's with great pride and humility that I get to share my story. My tinnitus has decreased in volume and intensity - I'm able to hear silence for the majority of the day and when my tinnitus does act up it doesn't bug me.
The onset - Tinnitus was always a fear of mine. I remember watching interview of William Shatner talking about tinnitus many years ago and it scared the shit out of me. After seeing that interview, I was mindful of protecting my ears at concerts and clubs. Unfortunately, my fear became a reality back in Feb 2020 when I slammed a cast iron mailbox in an archway. It was easily the loudest thing that I have ever experienced. I used to shoot shotguns, and the volume was comparable
The tinnitus - At its worst the volume was 5-6/10. I could hear over the TV and outside but not in the shower or a loud environment.
The despair - So I fully ended up losing my shit. I was overwhelmed with emotions convinced that my life was over. I cried more in February than I did the past 5 years. I was angry that a mailbox could ruin my life. It got so bad that I called the suicide hotline on Valentine's day with my GF (Super romantic, right?)
The progress: Even though I felt that my options for tinnitus were limited - I was going to at least try my best. Here's what allowed me to Habituate and ultimately reduce the volume.
Habituation/Silence - I started to notice real progress after 3 months. At almost 6 months I can still hear it if I search it out, but that's about it. Like I said, it will flair up a couple times throughout the day but it's a non issue. I believe the key to my success was that I gave up silence and focused solely on Habituation, which ironically is what brought me to silence.
Resources that helped me:
I've been a long time lurker on this form and I have been able to receive some of the best and some of the worst advice that I ever received for my tinnitus. I'm at a point where I feel confident to post my success story. I felt like I was never going to get to this point, so it's with great pride and humility that I get to share my story. My tinnitus has decreased in volume and intensity - I'm able to hear silence for the majority of the day and when my tinnitus does act up it doesn't bug me.
The onset - Tinnitus was always a fear of mine. I remember watching interview of William Shatner talking about tinnitus many years ago and it scared the shit out of me. After seeing that interview, I was mindful of protecting my ears at concerts and clubs. Unfortunately, my fear became a reality back in Feb 2020 when I slammed a cast iron mailbox in an archway. It was easily the loudest thing that I have ever experienced. I used to shoot shotguns, and the volume was comparable
The tinnitus - At its worst the volume was 5-6/10. I could hear over the TV and outside but not in the shower or a loud environment.
The despair - So I fully ended up losing my shit. I was overwhelmed with emotions convinced that my life was over. I cried more in February than I did the past 5 years. I was angry that a mailbox could ruin my life. It got so bad that I called the suicide hotline on Valentine's day with my GF (Super romantic, right?)
The progress: Even though I felt that my options for tinnitus were limited - I was going to at least try my best. Here's what allowed me to Habituate and ultimately reduce the volume.
- Therapy - I was skeptical but it changed my life for the better. It allowed me to truly be vulnerable with someone. I was able to cry openly about my tinnitus and examine why I was reacting. I felt less alone and that I had someone in my corner. I got diagnosed with OCD which was something that I struggled with all my life, but didn't have the word for it. The tools for overcoming OCD map perfectly to habituation.
- Meditation - This was massive. A lot of people try mediation thinking it will cure them of tinnitus. If you enter the practice with that mindset you will be disappointed. I approached it with an open mind thinking at best it will allow me to habituate or at the very least it will get me away from endlessly reading horror stories on this forum. After meditating for a couple of weeks, I noticed that the ringing was less intrusive and quieter. There's a million reasons why this could have happened and I'm not interested in hearing your theories why.
- Philosophy - While I was exploring mediation and mindfulness, I decided to to search for truths to make meaning of my tinnitus and the state of the world. I found comfort in stoicism and Taoism which are a must for anyone dealing with tinnitus. I would recommend reading Meditations by Marcus Aurelius.
- Staying Active - Hard to do during a pandemic but find a hobby. rekindle old friendships. Short and Sweet keep yourself busy
- I was on a boat when a firework went off above us which was super loud (but my tinnitus didn't spike).
- I went for a walk and someone had a deer replacement machine that played high frequency tones to scare away deer. The frequency hurt my ears and scared the shit out of me but my tinnitus didn't spike or get loud.
Habituation/Silence - I started to notice real progress after 3 months. At almost 6 months I can still hear it if I search it out, but that's about it. Like I said, it will flair up a couple times throughout the day but it's a non issue. I believe the key to my success was that I gave up silence and focused solely on Habituation, which ironically is what brought me to silence.
Resources that helped me:
- Headspace - mediation app
- CBT for Tinnitus Video - Bruce Hubbard
- Stoicism
- Taoism
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