- Jun 4, 2017
- 118
- Tinnitus Since
- 2012/2017(spike)
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Unknown/Ear-tooth infection
So I've decided on doing TRT and contacted the only person who really knows about it in my country. Read up on it as much as I could, and by now it has become clear that the place I found does not adhere to the standard TRT model.
1: No tinnitus counselling. The doctor insists on having therapy, which I agree with, but I was redirected to psychologists/psychiatrists who do not do tinnitus counselling specifically. Sure, I could use some talk therapy, but that is not what my main problem is right now - it's the fact that I have hyperacusis and tinnitus that reacts to "safe" levels of sound despite protecting my ears by spiking up (often permanently gaining new noises along the way). It is the sole reason I am currently suicidal and considering ending my life before the year ends. I had plans for this summer and now all of them are out the window and I'm struggling to stay alive and not lose my job. I had to move back in with my parents and they drive me around, which is... disheartening. (I cannot drive and at this point will probably never learn due to a degenerative eye condition.)
2: The white noise generator I got (in-ear style) completely blocks my hearing with the sound on even on the lowest setting, making me basically unable to participate in a conversation because it sounds muffled. This means that I cannot wear them at work - I was advised to wear them at home or even when I sleep (?!) But I can't even watch TV or YouTube at a low volume when they're in?
3: My tinnitus has not been categorised according to the standard 0-4 rating.
4: The WNGs I got obviously do not satisfy these TRT requirements:
The end result of the instructions is that (1) the sound does not suppress the tinnitus in any way, (2) the sound is not annoying, (3) the sound does not interfere with communication, (4) the sound does not elicit the stochastic resonance phenomenon (which can actually aggravate tinnitus), and (5) within the aforementioned constraints the sound maximally facilitates habituation. The specific details of how sound therapy is employed in each TRT category and how devices are set (for the categories requiring devices) for each is well-described in a number of publications and is beyond the scope of this review. Suffice it to say that when wearable devices are used in TRT (a) they are inconspicuous, (b) they are comfortable, (c) the sound they emit is not annoying, (d) the sound they emit does not interfere with communication, and (e) within a few minutes the wearer becomes oblivious to them. The devices are worn as much as possible but for at least eight hours a day – but since the wearer quickly becomes oblivious to the devices and to the sound they emit, that is largely irrelevant. At the conclusion of TRT the devices are no longer needed.
5: I was told that if I hand the in-ear WNGs back, I cannot work with this clinician anymore as they feel like I'm not co-operating and that they have done everything they could for me. I believe this is quite unfair - it isn't my fault that I fail basic spoken word hearing tests with the devices in.
At this point, I'm very confused and scared of making matters worse. I will probably need to hand these plug-style WNGs back as they make normal life impossible for me due to not being able to hear my environment. What now? Should I just go for an open-ear design? I don't really trust these doctors anymore and I don't know what to do. This was my last hope and I have to go back to work next week... I'm so scared. I don't want to make it worse
I've tried literally everything and I'm still spiking! The supposedly tinnitus-specialist psychiatrist/neurologist I saw prescribed me Xanax and Citalopram, he said that the Xanax is supposed to soothe tinnitus but it doesn't, and the Citalopram might even make it worse, I took a few doses but I'm not sure if I should continue... I've heard so many horror stories. Any ideas? I currently take 3.75 or 7.5g of Mirtazapine combined with 10mg of melatonin to sleep, otherwise the tinnitus keeps me up.
...this is a nightmare. I'm sick of normal noises hurting my ears and I can't habituate to constantly growing T
1: No tinnitus counselling. The doctor insists on having therapy, which I agree with, but I was redirected to psychologists/psychiatrists who do not do tinnitus counselling specifically. Sure, I could use some talk therapy, but that is not what my main problem is right now - it's the fact that I have hyperacusis and tinnitus that reacts to "safe" levels of sound despite protecting my ears by spiking up (often permanently gaining new noises along the way). It is the sole reason I am currently suicidal and considering ending my life before the year ends. I had plans for this summer and now all of them are out the window and I'm struggling to stay alive and not lose my job. I had to move back in with my parents and they drive me around, which is... disheartening. (I cannot drive and at this point will probably never learn due to a degenerative eye condition.)
2: The white noise generator I got (in-ear style) completely blocks my hearing with the sound on even on the lowest setting, making me basically unable to participate in a conversation because it sounds muffled. This means that I cannot wear them at work - I was advised to wear them at home or even when I sleep (?!) But I can't even watch TV or YouTube at a low volume when they're in?
3: My tinnitus has not been categorised according to the standard 0-4 rating.
4: The WNGs I got obviously do not satisfy these TRT requirements:
The end result of the instructions is that (1) the sound does not suppress the tinnitus in any way, (2) the sound is not annoying, (3) the sound does not interfere with communication, (4) the sound does not elicit the stochastic resonance phenomenon (which can actually aggravate tinnitus), and (5) within the aforementioned constraints the sound maximally facilitates habituation. The specific details of how sound therapy is employed in each TRT category and how devices are set (for the categories requiring devices) for each is well-described in a number of publications and is beyond the scope of this review. Suffice it to say that when wearable devices are used in TRT (a) they are inconspicuous, (b) they are comfortable, (c) the sound they emit is not annoying, (d) the sound they emit does not interfere with communication, and (e) within a few minutes the wearer becomes oblivious to them. The devices are worn as much as possible but for at least eight hours a day – but since the wearer quickly becomes oblivious to the devices and to the sound they emit, that is largely irrelevant. At the conclusion of TRT the devices are no longer needed.
5: I was told that if I hand the in-ear WNGs back, I cannot work with this clinician anymore as they feel like I'm not co-operating and that they have done everything they could for me. I believe this is quite unfair - it isn't my fault that I fail basic spoken word hearing tests with the devices in.
At this point, I'm very confused and scared of making matters worse. I will probably need to hand these plug-style WNGs back as they make normal life impossible for me due to not being able to hear my environment. What now? Should I just go for an open-ear design? I don't really trust these doctors anymore and I don't know what to do. This was my last hope and I have to go back to work next week... I'm so scared. I don't want to make it worse
I've tried literally everything and I'm still spiking! The supposedly tinnitus-specialist psychiatrist/neurologist I saw prescribed me Xanax and Citalopram, he said that the Xanax is supposed to soothe tinnitus but it doesn't, and the Citalopram might even make it worse, I took a few doses but I'm not sure if I should continue... I've heard so many horror stories. Any ideas? I currently take 3.75 or 7.5g of Mirtazapine combined with 10mg of melatonin to sleep, otherwise the tinnitus keeps me up....this is a nightmare. I'm sick of normal noises hurting my ears and I can't habituate to constantly growing T
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