The Best Way to Cope with Tinnitus

[Mikedman516]

So what is the best way to cope with tinnitus?

Well, it's simple.
Look at others and realize that you are not alone. And take it as a blessing.
Tinnitus is similar to sleep paralysis, Something I personally suffer from. It's something that you are trapped in, something that you can't break out of unless your body tells you that you can. Even if you find relief, it comes right back.

This is what tinnitus seems like for most. But take it as a blessing.
Sure, that concert may have caused your tinnitus. Sure, you may have played your music too loud. But be happy that all you got from it was tinnitus. You didn't go deaf, your ears didn't fall off. In fact, embrace the fact that you're still able to do everything you could before, with minimal things being limited. If a Vietnam vet was near an exploding grenade, sure, he might've lost a leg, but he can still see his family.

Also, look at others, and get the help you need. You aren't the only person in this world suffering from tinnitus. Others have it too, and some worse than yours. This forum is made for us to share our experience of tinnitus with each other.

In essence, tinnitus is minor. It's nothing to be afraid of nor worry about. And for anyone reading this who is depressed, or afraid of tinnitus, then think about this quote.

"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude."-Maya Angelou

 

[Wojtek Kalka]

Ignore the tinnitus to 100%, IMHO that's the best way.

 

[RonnieCarzatto]

Kinda hard to do when trying to sleep but I am working on it... I hope I get there soon...

 

[Wojtek Kalka]

I never said it is easy. I said it is the best way.

 

[Kelvin]

True... but far from easy to do with this horrible noises raging for attention.
I hope in time we will all heal to a point where we can be happy and at some sort of peace again.

Wishing you all some peace today X

 

[DammiSlim]

My tinnitus isn't even that bad. Honestly I don't even know if it's permanent yet. I have had higher frequency tinnitus before but I would only hear it randomly for about 10 seconds. But now for about a month I constantly hear a very thin noise on my left ear. Kind of sounds like when you turn on an old TV. But I've also noticed that I sometimes feel slight pain around the whole area down to my jaw. I'm only 20 and I work at a loud factory smh. I'm just afraid that it will get worse.

 

[kipp]

My tinnitus got worse in my left ear 5 days ago after I got an ear infection. My experience of tinnitus went from what I thought was a 6.5/10 (but realize now was only a 2/10) to being an 8.5/10. There is a constant loud high pitched ringing at around 8160 Hz in my left ear that for the last 5 days has been taking all of my attention and has been causing a lot of distress.

I also have a quieter and more bearable ringing at around 7770 Hz in my right ear from a different ear infection 2 years ago.

Coping

Professional help

The initial out of hours GP looked in my ears and as I was also experiencing dizziness, nausea, loss of balance, lightheadedness and muffled hearing, he told me I might have labyrinthitis and that it would clear up in a few weeks.

I went to A&E and saw the psychiatric liaison nurse, she talked with me and she offered for me to stay in an assessment suite for 24 hours but I declined.

(Assessment Suite provides a safe and stable, calming environment away from A&E which allows mental health staff to undertake more detailed and informed assessments of people experiencing a mental health crisis and to agree what the best follow up support for them will be.)

The psychiatrist from the early intervention team that I see recommended to try using medication to assist in relaxation and the ability to fall asleep. I was prescribed Clonazepam, a benzodiazepine, but I am skeptical / unsure whether to begin using it. He also recommended to try ringing Samaritans (UK helpline).

Specsavers hearing test. I went to see an audiologist at Specsavers to inquire about how a hearing aid could assist tinnitus. I had a hearing test and my hearing is fine so he said that a hearing aid would likely not be of any use.

GP looked in my ears again and has referred me to an ENT doctor which I am now waiting for the appointment.

Masking

I keep the tinnitus calmer app using heavy rain and rain on 24/7. I keep it on quite a high volume as the tinnitus is more high pitched, so it doesn't successfully completely mask it, but it is much more tolerable than silence. I also use this to fall asleep. (The GP said it is better to use over ear headphones rather than in ear headphones as bacteria can live on them increasing the chances of getting an ear infection)

Relaxation

So far I haven't been able to relax, I have constantly been kept on edge, although sometimes there are short moments where I am not hearing it as much and I try to sink into them as much as possible.

I am trying to remain as calm as I can because I have noticed when I start to become stressed it gets even louder and more high pitched.

Distraction

I have been trying to stay distracted, going from one thing to the next and have tried to adopt a faster paced temperament (while mentally trying to remain calm and balanced). Its when I stop and focus on it that I notice it more and become more distressed about it.

I have rang Samaritans for the last few days when I am feeling the most distressed.


I have noticed a slight overall decrease in the initial sheer high pitch of it as time goes on but it does fluctuate depending on stress levels it seems.

I am holding on to hope and have been praying that once this labyrinthitis passes the intensity of this tinnitus will reduce and will lower in pitch so I can more effectively mask it and habituate to it.

 

[winstona]

So what is the best way to cope with tinnitus?

Well, it's simple.
Look at others and realize that you are not alone. And take it as a blessing.
Tinnitus is similar to sleep paralysis, Something I personally suffer from. It's something that you are trapped in, something that you can't break out of unless your body tells you that you can. Even if you find relief, it comes right back.

This is what tinnitus seems like for most. But take it as a blessing.
Sure, that concert may have caused your tinnitus. Sure, you may have played your music too loud. But be happy that all you got from it was tinnitus. You didn't go deaf, your ears didn't fall off. In fact, embrace the fact that you're still able to do everything you could before, with minimal things being limited. If a Vietnam vet was near an exploding grenade, sure, he might've lost a leg, but he can still see his family.

It's very difficult to take something as evil as tinnitus as a blessing to be honest. Tinnitus is a beast that stays here to remind you 7/24 that it's there. There's not a single thing that you can do to even allow you to forget about it for a second. Whereas for other sickness or chronic disease there's still a chance that you can forget about it for 2 hours when you watch a movie for example.

It's this attitude that tinnitus is nothing but noise that we can choose to ignore that caused average people to not care about us!

I know I have read somewhere that someone would rather have their hearing removed than to have to suffer from tinnitus. I for one is not in that extreme but I do know there are sufferers in this forum that has debilitating tinnitus that can't be ignored.

I am not the most negative person in this forum but calling tinnitus minor is basically undermining what we sufferers are going through...IMO.

 

[KotaDomowa]

Or maybe...

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/back-to-silence.7172/

 

[coffee_girl]

Time and patience.