The Positivity Thread

#842
Hi all!
I will continue here with some positivity!
First of all I want to say thank you @demi (tagging not possible for some reason? :dunno:) for creating this thread! For me it was much more helpful than any treatment I made! Many thanks to all of you for posting your positivity stories! This is so important when you struggling with tinnitus. A special thanks to @billie48 for your helping words and positivity postings which I or let's say, we all really, really appreciate!

After so many years of having tinnitus with ups and downs I was able to habituate. Unfortunately T got worse for some reason in the last month why I have registered here which helped me a lot. Now I'm on the way up again and even if my T is very high and loud I managed to cope it again and go on in life. Yesterday I helped my brother teaching KravMaga (Israeli Self Defense) which I was afraid of because of possible loud incidents (boxing mitt punches or screaming,..). I'm know very happy I joined the training which shows me there is still a lot we can do even with tinnitus. Even though my T brings me down sometimes I will stand up again and go on in life to show who the boss is! "The heck with it" like @billie48 always says :D

I wish you all the best!
TinniTom
 
#845
I have been struggling with all of these issues for quite some time now. Even after this length of time, there are days that set me back emotionally. We have to learn to accept all of this before we can move on with our lives. Your family and friends will never grasp the entire suffering that comes with tinnitus or hearing losses and can actually add more stress onto you. If they never experience it, how can they know?

With just 3 weeks into this, you are going to continue to get the huge mood swings involved with this nonsense. Your doctors will seem useless, specialist appointments will be disappointing and family support will wane in time. This is not the end of the world. What it is actually is a new life. A life you must learn to adapt too and accept. The worst thing we can do is stress about it or dwell in our self pity. Many of us hit the lowest of lows and wonder if life is worth living. In time you will see there is still much happiness and joy in this "new" life.

I am happy you have found this site and are able to read about the things we all go thru. This lets you know 2 things..... 1) You're not crazy (and) 2) We are here for you anytime you need us.

I know even though I have dealt with my issues longer than some, once I started reading the threads on this site they were amazingly comforting. So many good hearted and caring people here who know what we all go thru. We can learn all about things others have tried for treatments and how they worked or failed. Allows most of us a chance to surpass trying these treatments and move on to other areas.

Just being able to openly talk about this with others in your shoes does a great deal of healing............

Hope to see you around often and share your experiences with all of us. Don't let this destroy you.

Much Love!!! Mike
 
#846
I feel really lucky. I've had tinnitus since before I knew what tinnitus was. I'm lucky because mine is a comfort to me. I've had it forever, so I'll never miss what music sounds like without it, or what actual silence is. I don't ignore my tinnitus. I actively seek it out. It's the white noise when all the other noise in the universe is too much to handle. I seek out my tinnitus at night when my mind is reeling and I need something to focus on. They say the best way to deal with tinnitus is to listen for it rather than ignore it. While I obviously can't speak for those with something to miss, this tactic has absolutely worked for me.
 
#848
billie48 said:
I am one of those who strongly believe that being positive will help us habituate to tinnitus faster. A few years back I was in total darkness of daily tinnitus suffering. I have ultra high pitch and loud tinnitus which was soon followed by piercingly hurtful hyperacusis. These two alien beasts literally overwhelmed my senses and my nerves were stretched to the breaking point. I also suffer decades of anxiety and panic disorders prior to T & H. So these two alien beasts just opened the flood gate of hell of relentless anxiety and panic attacks on auto mode. Each day was a long dark days of sufferings from these 'torturous' new masters of my life. I was obsessed with T and was constantly monitoring it. I was scared and desperate. I had to depend on meds like Ativan, Prozac and sleeping pills just to survive. I cut off all social contacts. I withdrew from things I used to enjoy doing. Life was bleak, lonely and very often the big 'S' word was dangling in front of this tired and stressed out mind as it saw no way out. I thought me and my good life would end soon. Things just couldn't be any worse.

That was then. But today I am back to normal, living a full, normal, productive and enjoyable life, free from the darkness and tyranny of this tinnitus bully and also drug free. My hyercausis has long faded when I took off the ear plugs for normal sounds. Tinnitus still rings but my brain has gotten used to and hardened to the sound. It doesn't bother me or scared me like before. As I am typing on the subject of tinnitus, it is brought to the forth front of conscious. I can hear it screaming with its ultra high pitch. The same sound used to overwhelm me and my nerves. No longer. I have lost the fear for it and don't give a dime. It is now just a paper tiger.

Today I can truly feel and breathe & see the beauty around me - fresh air, blue sky, green trees, lovely flowers, sweet faces of family and friends, lovely children and all that beauty of nature the Almighty has bestowed so generously for us mortals to enjoy. I can go dancing, singing, gardening, fishing, playing guitar, travelling, hiking, camping, eating out, watching cinema movies, even volunteering for church and charitable functions such as collecting foods for the our local food bank, etc. etc. I don't let this tinnitus bully take any fun and meaning away from my life. My new motto is living life abundantly to compensate for tinnitus and its suffering (if any). When one can do that, tinnitus will be like a paper tiger. It can still rings loud, but it has lost its power to scare you and rob you of your life. More often T just got faded out by the brain from consciousness when it no longer perceives T as a threat. It sounds amazing but it is possible even for loud T.

So never say never. The good life can be back. Give it time. T may just disappear or fade. Even if it doesn't, good life is still possible. I have learned to accept and flow with life's ups and downs, even my loud tinnitus, by willing to coexist peacefully with T, without all the emotional and negative reactions. This in turn allows the brain to habituate to T. It can be done. Believe it and have a bright hope for your future. If an anxiety and panic prone person like me can do it, have faith that you can too.
Click to expand...
This REALLY uplifted my spirit, thank you.
 
#849
AustralSpring said:
I feel really lucky. I've had tinnitus since before I knew what tinnitus was. I'm lucky because mine is a comfort to me. I've had it forever, so I'll never miss what music sounds like without it, or what actual silence is. I don't ignore my tinnitus. I actively seek it out. It's the white noise when all the other noise in the universe is too much to handle. I seek out my tinnitus at night when my mind is reeling and I need something to focus on. They say the best way to deal with tinnitus is to listen for it rather than ignore it. While I obviously can't speak for those with something to miss, this tactic has absolutely worked for me.
Click to expand...
Kind of works for me also if it's mild, reminds me of when I was at child sick with a fever, Tylenol 3s caused the same ringing, it was relaxing, my mother soothing me ect..... I always liked sleeping with white sound also, so sometimes t puts me to sleep as long as its not screaming

Some day I hope to use the t for meditation
 
#850
Indeed this tread is very helpful and give hope .
I was "cured" for 6 years ! got my T in 2008 , very severe , loud and hight picth and finally have been habituated in 2009. T was there for the last 6 years but part of life . Maybe too much habituated because I forgot to protect my ears correctly during a concert in last June and got a big flare up ( 9 khz ) after .
Now it s almost 6 month and every day is a fight but I am telling myself : Never give up . I am going back slowly to my life ( sports, yoga, restaurant , movies, friends ...) even when I am not in a good day .
I hope for all of us we ll find habituation which means for me , not looking for a cure and don't react to our T .

All the best
 
#851
It seems it's rarely a straight road up.I have had Tinnitus for 21 months.At first I was very anxious,then eventually habituated and life resumed as before,but three weeks ago something changed.It either increased in volume or frequency and my brain started on a mild anxiety track.So it's back to another habituation faze,but it's not so dramatic as before.
I am by nature a pessimist,and things do often surprise me and improve.Hope this is one of those occasions.
 
#852
demi said:
It seems like with every positive comment I find 3 negative comments. While reading the same thread I can go from feeling a bit better to feeling even worse than I did prior to reading.

Let's make this thread one that ONLY has positive comments/stories/helpful things.
Click to expand...
thx !
 
#853
7 weeks I to T, seems like getting better, can sleep without masking, yesterday I was pleasantly surprised at how quiet it "seemed".

It might be too early...but it DOES seem to get better with time like all the pros say!

However...I developed h from a loud situation (but not loud enough for permanent damage) so spiked the h, but tying to be positive, apparently h can subside if give it time to heal?
 
#854
Had a nice day yesterday. During my counselling session, I couldn't help myself - I talked about positive feelings I have all the time :)

It helped me to see those bad days as a part of the recovery process. It's not nice to have them but I have to go through a bad day every now and then to get better in the long term.

So it's a tough day today, but "you got to do what you got to do" ;)

Have a lovely evening guys.
 
#856
My T is real loud from a spike, but I'm not feeling distressed by it.

I know some days it'll affect me more than others, and that this feeling might not even last through the night. But to have even one moment where I can feel calm feels like a win, and I'm appreciating it.
 
#857
I really think we should share those good moments more! If you're new to tinnitus - remember, the good days will eventually come!

Past weeks were hell. Panic attacks. Anxiety. Constant ringing. I had to seek help from Student Counseling. It was bad. I hated myself. I hated everyone.

My T didn't change.... Today I had a nice walk in a park (I love how birds mask my T... sometimes :) ). I ate (an amazing) dinner in a restaurant. I studied for an exam. I played Witcher 3. I watched Netflix for a bit. I slept 8 hours (and woke up with only a minor anxiety ;) ).

The only thing I did differently because of my T was going to the restaurant during less busy hours when it's <75dB.

Tinnitus was my biggest problem (biggest problem I've ever had, actually) for the past 8 weeks. My biggest problem today is... having to study insanely boring material for a final exam on Wednesday.

I've never been so happy about being so bored :D


PS. I'm not habituated whatsoever. I'm just sharing a particularly good day I had.
 
#858
I began taking ginkgo last night. Woke up with the softest sounds since getting the T over two weeks ago. It came back with force at lunchtime, but then lulled again. Strange feelings but I'm enjoying the breaks from it! Positive thoughts - great idea!!
 
#859
I started doing jaw excercies i got from a jaw physiologist i see due to my tmd about 2 week ago. And the last couple of days, my T has started to steadily drop in volume little by little. I have pretty strong spikes just after streching, but after it settles about 1-2 hours in it's fantastic to just hear the T drop in volume.I'd say it's about 25% lower than it was before i started doing these exercises! Finally i feel like i have some sort of control over my symptoms. This is really the best "early" christmas gift I could have imagined.:)
 
#860
Two more days to Christmas. Wishing you all Merry Christmas & Happy New Year. Try to tell the T bully to take a ticket and wait in line while you are busy trying to enjoy the holiday season with your family, loved ones and friends. Finding joy amid the pain, that is a motto I strictly adhere to. T doesn't have to own us and rob us everything from our life. Let's share our joy and enjoy the festivities despite the T challenge. Let positivity in your life begin with the birthday of the Savior Jesus Christ and may He light up your way to recovery in the new year. Have a good one!!!
 
#861
Was my Birthday yesterday. After 2 weeks of a spike my T dropped to a much more managable 5/10, hopefully it remains there or continues dropping! Feels like a great birthday/christmas gift.
 
#862
Adin said:
I started doing jaw excercies i got from a jaw physiologist i see due to my tmd about 2 week ago. And the last couple of days, my T has started to steadily drop in volume little by little. I have pretty strong spikes just after streching, but after it settles about 1-2 hours in it's fantastic to just hear the T drop in volume.I'd say it's about 25% lower than it was before i started doing these exercises! Finally i feel like i have some sort of control over my symptoms. This is really the best "early" christmas gift I could have imagined.:)
Click to expand...

What type of jaw exercises are you doing? I also have TMJ although it's not the cause of my tinnitus.
 
#863
Frayact said:
What type of jaw exercises are you doing? I also have TMJ although it's not the cause of my tinnitus.
Click to expand...

Alright, so this is my streching scheme that i do two times a day, i also wear a night guard daytime as well as nighttime when doing things that makes me tense my jaw. Each exercise should be done 6 times in sequence before moving on to the next one:

1. Jog with your jaw by moving it up, down and side to side for a couple of seconds. Your teeth should never touch when doing this.

2. Open your jaw as far as you can and then move it as far as you can to each side.

3. Put your hand below your chin. Open your mouth slightly and put pressure on your jaw by putting preassure on your chin with your hand. Do this for 6 seconds and then rest.

4. Put your hand on your cheek, move your jaw in that direction putting pressure on your jaw by holding against it with your hand. Hold for 6 seconds and then switch side. Then rest.

5. Put your hand on your chin and push your jaw forward to put pressure on your jaw by holding against it with your hand. Hold for 6 seconds and then rest.

6. Open your mouth, put your fingers on the teeth of you lower jaw and try to close your jaw while holding against it with your hand. Hold for a couple of seconds, and then rest. Note that your moth should stay roughly in the same position even when trying to close it.

7. Open your mouth wide, then stretch it a bit further by holding it open with two fingers. Hold in this position for 15-20 seconds and then rest.

8. Finish the exercise by checking that your under jaw is still correctly alligned with your upper jaw by opening your mouth and checking it in a mirror.

9. If you want, you can finish the exercise by humming on the M sound which relaxes your jaw.

Worth adding is that you should avoid all exercises that hurt a lot. I hope you can understand the main points in each sequence although it is translated directly from Swedish. :)
 
#864
First time since T - slept without the assistance of meds; picked up a guitar for the first time; had a bit of a sing; going to the gym later today. I know there'll be more bad/sad times, but while I'm 'up' gonna make the best of it! Thanks to everyone for your support
 
#865
I couldn't tolerate white noise before even at the lowest volume. Now I can!
 
#866
I've had my hour of self pity today - enough - out with the family for the afternoon- go for some retail therapy and spend some money on my daughters! Good plan?
 
#869
I have had two really good days, having accepted the fact that my music career is on hold for now (not giving up hope of returning to it), and that I had better start to fight it rather than shut myself down by wallowing in self-pity. I'll still have those moments I'm certain, but I'm coping so much better in the relatively short time I've been afflicted by this horrible 'thing'. And I'm spending more time with my family, because I'm simply less busy!! Sleeping again for the first time in 5 weeks, started back at the gym last night (caused a spike but got that under control quickly), and watching a lot more TV now, which is something I haven't done in years. The madness in it is that amidst all this absolute stress, I'm probably relaxing for the first time in a long time. Yeh! I don't get it either.
Having a morning spike right now so thought I'd get on this thread and talk about the recent good days rather than letting it bring me and everyone else around me down.
I'd still like my pre-T life back, but trying to find positives in moving forward.
 
#870
Dude, all positive stuff man!! Sleep!! Yeay!! Family time good, Gym good!! Relaxing....GOOD!! :) Whatever you do, don't give up on music (or anything). I'm 4 years in, and have been tempted to give up on things that give me joy, but have persevered and am stoked!! Stay solid bro!!:rockingbanana:

Jeff
 

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