Tinnitus a Complex Anxiety Issue? — Help Needed

[Allan1967]

Hello all,

I think what I'm going through is more an anxiety related issue (I don't like the word 'disorder') but I need help and guidance and it's important because this could happen to any of us.

Like most of us, I dread making my tinnitus worse or developing painful hyperacusis. I'm finding that my tinnitus tone spikes randomly, which causes me alarm but what I'm finding is if a noise happens at the same time I am linking the two and consequently I'm having panic flushes when it happens or at the thought of it happening.

These little spikes I actually notice are more likely to happen by movements of my jaw.

Similarly flutters in my ears, eustachian tube movements, fleeting light sensations of pain, pressure changes or whatever I'm automatically assuming is the sign of something bad is about to happen. I'm scared I'll wake up the next day with something new.

I mean, as I've been writing this, my tinnitus has spiked a couple of times and I'm sat in silence. So by my stupid logic technically I should now develop a phobia about posting in silence on Tinnitus Talk!

I realise this is probably more like an anxiety issue, faulty thinking and beliefs.

Has anyone experienced anything similar and how did you tackle it?

 

[GSC]

By not monitoring your tinnitus. Just take each tempo and lowering and increasing of tinnitus as a momentary thing. A daily fluctuation. The worst thing you can do for tinnitus is try to predict it or expect consistency, because you'll be smacked down right back to Earth with guttural fear and alarm, especially in the early stages, because from many accounts, you don't know your baseline until you're 6 months to a year in. Try to stay calm, even if it causes you fear. If your tinnitus has somatic elements, take note of it and try to stop doing the movement that exaggerates it IF it can be helped.

What I do when my tinnitus fluctuates is think - oh, it's higher than usual. Must just be it doing it's own thing, because I know I wasn't near a too loud exposure or damaging volume. That's all I think and try to move on.

 

[Michael Leigh]

I mean, as I've been writing this, my tinnitus has spiked a couple of times and I'm sat in silence. So by my stupid logic technically I should now develop a phobia about posting in silence on Tinnitus Talk!

I am sorry to hear of the discomfort that you are in Allan. I believe the symptoms that you describe in your post are brought on by you focusing on your tinnitus and hyperacusis which causes anxiety. Hopefully when you begin treatment with your therapist some counselling will help you as this is what I think you need.

Michael

 

[LunarRXA]

Try not to think about tinnitus too much. Whenever my tinnitus is bothering me, I stop what I'm doing, get a glass of water and breathe for a few moments or minutes. Sometimes I put on some soft piano music or something similar too. Try to live as similarly to before you had tinnitus as possible.

 

[Allan1967]

It's also the fear of noises other people make that's driving this. My daughter is only 13 but she barges around the house like a bull in a China shop. Meal times are becoming like walking on eggshells as people are trying to avoid scraping knives and forks off plates.

This is a nightmare that I need to get on top of! I can't control my own fears.