So can anyone give me something positive to work with when your 48 years old, lost job in the oilfield since the downturn.
Been trying to deal with bad tinnitus for over 2 years with no success. Been to specialist that told me there's nothing they can do, just learn to deal with it, now pay me. My tinnitus is so loud it makes my head fuzzy like I have a concussion.
I don't go out because I feel like I'm half awake most of the time. I'm running out of money, time and patience waiting on my brain to get used to it. Tried the maskers and everything under the sun. I'll be damned if I go broke and lose everything because I can't concentrate and deal with it. I'll take anything you have.
All right, so I have no idea how it is like to be in that exact situation and I am sorry these bad things happened to you. It must be a real burden... I have been to the bottom - pretty much to the point where I didn't find any reason to be alive. So that perspective made me write a reply, as I know how lonely it can be when things go sour.
You're saying you have tried everything to cure your T and wishing your brain would get used to it. However, as long as T has strong negative emotional reaction to it, the brain cannot get used to it. If you're afraid, angry, sad etc. about T, your brain keeps up the alarm and fixates on the sound & sensations. It may sound frustrating, but our reaction and how we deal with T emotionally is the only thing we can change for sure. I really do hope we will eventually get rid of the T itself, but right now it's important to put focus into what you
can change, instead of waiting or hunting for a cure
.
Having support to get your life back together would be the thing I'd suggest. You feel half-awake, don't go out and can't concentrate or deal with the current troubles. For me, it means that it's all just too much - without help, that is. When I was isolated and depressed, getting a good therapist saved my life. One does not need to be "officially mentally ill" to benefit from therapy - it's a great way to change harmful thought patterns and have the strength to find solutions to situations that first seem impossible. If your main problem is T, then you might benefit from TRT (Tinnitus Retraining Therapy). The thing is - when we are guided to change our thought patterns, reactions and given tools to handle negative emotions,
it will change our brain. And that change may very well concretely make T milder. As T is in our brain and in our nervous system, re-programming the same system psychologically is the best antidote on long-term. This is what I believe - not sure if it makes sense to you?
Moreover, what keeps you going? Which are the things that give you joy & happiness? Who are the people who can make you feel better? What kind of hopes and dreams do you have? When there's so much bad, you gotta remind yourself of the good, as well. Even if they'd be small things, they're important to remember and focus on.