Tinnitus, A Personal View

[Autumnly]

I have also said there are limitations to habituation and stand by this.

I agree with this. Having read many posts on here, I could now even imagine habituation being possible for everyone - but I do believe that tinnitus, especially in combination with hyperacusis, can put limitations on your life. I would never want to scare or discourage a new member and I agree that there are also posts on here that are only doom and gloom and can heavily scare new sufferers. However, there are cases like Tom Maholchic's or Kathy McCain's and while I don't know what their lives will look like in five or ten years right now their lives are definitely being impacted and limited by these conditions.

So, anyone that visits this forum regularly and in particular posts messages should be thankful, at that time their tinnitus is not severe and debilitating. I am not saying the tinnitus is not heard or intrusive, but it isn't so severe where It interferes with their cognitive skills.

Agree with this as well. Even when my tinnitus is loud and intrusive it's still not a 10/10 where I can't think clearly anymore. If I have a day where I already wake up with a bad headache, ear pain and higher pitched and louder tinnitus than usual, I start getting closer to the state where I just want to lay in bed and mindlessly refresh one app after another.

 

[Greg Sacramento]

For me, the time has come for me to consider not posting or at least only on occasion. I can't tell the difference between a high pitch whistling teakettle and my noises. The noise is so loud and sharp that it's painful. I will still read the board. Wishing everyone the very best.

 

[Michael Leigh]

Agree with this as well. Even when my tinnitus is loud and intrusive it's still not a 10/10 where I can't think clearly anymore. If I have a day where I already wake up with a bad headache, ear pain and higher pitched and louder tinnitus than usual, I start getting closer to the state where I just want to lay in bed and mindlessly refresh one app after another.

As you probably know @Autumnly you are describing habituation and therefore, I'm not teaching you how to suck eggs, it's for the benefit of readers that might not know when one habituates. There are different levels to habituate. It is quite possible for a person to habituate and the tinnitus reduces to such a low level that it's hardly heard. Then, there's what I'm described of my own experience and Autumnly's which amounts to the same thing. Habituation simply means one is able to cope and live with their tinnitus but at times, it can have limitations.

Michael

 

[Gl0w0ut]

I also wanted to add: It's never easy dealing with the tinnitus and it took me a long time to get a grip on it. This can happen for others or they might cope/habituate sooner. It takes effort and time and patience. It's never easy and I support all that do suffer from this. Our cases are never identical at times, but slowly we can move forward. It won't be easy but it is possible....

I hope all can move forward

I still live life, begrudgingly some days it seems. I want to give new sufferers as much of a realistic output as possible. I think giving them hope for habituation or a cure that may never come does them a stronger disservice. Also, the study I cited about the attention networks applies to chronic sufferers. Acute sufferers haven't yet had those things happen yet.

 

[Michael Leigh]

I still live life, begrudgingly some days it seems. I want to give new sufferers as much of a realistic output as possible. I think giving them hope for habituation or a cure that may never come does them a stronger disservice. Also, the study I cited about the attention networks applies to chronic sufferers. Acute sufferers haven't yet had those things happen yet.

Most people learn to habituate in time and this can take up to 18 months from the onset of tinnitus. A person has to give this time and in some instances professional help may be required which comes in a variety of ways that I've mentioned in my article. In 2008 my tinnitus reached insurmountable levels requiring me to have TRT for the second time. Although I had made improvement it wasn't as successful as first. I felt like giving up in 2010 when my consultant said: I was the second worst tinnitus patient that she had treated in all her years of being an Audiovestibular physician. She vowed to never give up on treating me and so did my Hearing Therapist. It took four years to habituate for the 2nd time.

If I had a negative outlook on life or constantly dwelled on the thoughts that I had no hope for the future I might not be here today. Life is problematic and all of us will have problems at one time or another. Life throws challenges at us. If it were simple we would never grow and develop. Perhaps never reach our full potential or know what we are capable doing. Man and Woman will remain stagnant without no ambition or wanting to be better than themselves even when facing adversity, one must try their best to not let that stop them achieving their goals.

Michael

 

[AZeurotuner]

I still live life, begrudgingly some days it seems. I want to give new sufferers as much of a realistic output as possible. I think giving them hope for habituation or a cure that may never come does them a stronger disservice. Also, the study I cited about the attention networks applies to chronic sufferers. Acute sufferers haven't yet had those things happen yet.

Telling new members that their limbic system is decaying and that they will never achieve habituation is honestly the biggest disservice one could do to a new sufferer of tinnitus. Unfortunately you lack the self awareness to realize the harm you are doing to yourself and to members of this site. I really don't understand why you insist on "helping" us by posting the most depressing studies you can get your hands on. I've got news for you Glowout, many of the members on here are already depressed, reading material such as the study referenced in this thread is the exact opposite of helping someone. Who knows, someone already feeling suicidal could read one of your threads and be "pushed over the edge" so to speak. Take a moment to reflect on the potential ramifications of the "help" you're giving people.

 

[Gl0w0ut]

Telling new members that their limbic system is decaying and that they will never achieve habituation is honestly the biggest disservice one could do to a new sufferer of tinnitus. Unfortunately you lack the self awareness to realize the harm you are doing to yourself and to members of this site. I really don't understand why you insist on "helping" us by posting the most depressing studies you can get your hands on. I've got news for you Glowout, many of the members on here are already depressed, reading material such as the study referenced in this thread is the exact opposite of helping someone. Who knows, someone already feeling suicidal could read one of your threads and be "pushed over the edge" so to speak. Take a moment to reflect on the potential ramifications of the "help" you're giving people.

Well someone has to tell it like it is. I never said there is truly no hope. Who knows, maybe Susan Shore's followup study will yield a very promising lead for sufferers. As I have stated, new sufferers or acute sufferers haven't yet endured the brain changes those of us with chronic tinnitus have.

I have nearly pushed over the edge six months ago, yet here I am. Suicide is an individual choice, what determines how detrimental tinnitus is is not the loudness of it, but rather the person's reaction. It deadly for someone like myself who has really bad anxiety and a family history of depression, yet for some reason my brain insists on continuing to live despite how much life sucks with this disease. Even good days are only "okay" days because of this. I once clasped onto the brass rings of habituation and a potential cure when my tinnitus got really bad, and I felt pretty shitty in the wake of realizing that it wasn't going to happen.

For those who are new here, is there no hope? No, there is always the possibility of some kind of scientific breakthrough in the coming years, but right now there isn't a lot that anyone can do about tinnitus, and medical professionals don't seem to give a rat's furry ass about our suffering. That's my experience, others have had better experiences. I just think each user should be realistic about the reality that many of us are, sadly, in it for the long hall. I'd trade anything to get rid of the damn noise, but I cannot do anything. At best I may go onto to research and use all of my intellectual capacity to find ways of shutting the brain's ability to maintain this noise. The brain does this with intent and my goal in research is to deprive it of this function it deems crucial to survival while simultaneously stopping it from making new connections in the brain to keep the noise going. The brain does this on purpose, and only by antagonizing it will we get it to stop.

 

[glynis]

For those who are new here, is there no hope? No, there is always the possibility of some kind of scientific breakthrough in the coming years, but right now there isn't a lot that anyone can do about tinnitus, and medical professionals don't seem to give a rat's furry ass about our suffering

I respect your views and understand how you feel but this Quote is a bit hard for the newcomers and can be a young teenager reading this whom have to rely on parents and forums and when going the doctors and parents not knowing about tinnitus also.
Yes a cure could be years away yet but help comes in many ways and finding what works for you is the key and looking after your mental health to help manage better.....love glynis

 

[Gl0w0ut]

I respect your views and understand how you feel but this Quote is a bit hard for the newcomers and can be a young teenager reading this whom have to rely on parents and forums and when going the doctors and parents not knowing about tinnitus also.
Yes a cure could be years away yet but help comes in many ways and finding what works for you is the key and looking after your mental health to help manage better.....love glynis

You're correct I came off a bit too dreary and harsh, and did not consider newcomers when I made these posts. Rather they were directed towards people like Michael Leigh and other veterans of the forum.

If you are a newcomer, life isn't over because of the noise. Despite my own personal feelings about it, I still carry on despite it. There are many people who care about your suffering, many on this forum. I simply want to give everyone a realistic outlook when it comes to tinnitus. If you recently got it within the last few days to a week or so, there is a possibility it may go away on its own. Some people get lucky and only have temporary bouts with tinnitus. The general rule of thumb, medically speaking (according to my ENT), is that tinnitus becomes chronic after six months and less likely to go away.

Does it get better? Well, I will once again have to be pessimistic but honest. Statistically speaking I think it is likely your subjective experience of tinnitus will improve over time. I'm certainly more functional compared to when I had constant cry spells during the summer of last year, when my tinnitus peaked in terms of its severity. Is my tinnitus quieter or better 11 months in? Certainly not compared to the first two months, but it is better compared to July and August of last year. It still makes life hard and still impacts my "good" days, and I cannot say whether the tinnitus has changed or not but overall I am less reactive to it. I imagine most of you will become less reactive in time, or maybe it will get worse as it progresses, who knows? There are too many individual factors to take into account to really say. When I say these things, it is not to make you miserable or deprive you of hope, it is to inform you of the realistic progression of this awful condition.

 

[Michael Leigh]

You're correct I came off a bit too dreary and harsh, and did not consider newcomers when I made these posts. Rather they were directed towards people like Michael Leigh and other veterans of the forum.

You still haven't had tinnitus that long @Gl0w0wt. I believe if you follow the advice of fishbone, myself, glynis and others have given you. The negative thinking in time will reduce and you'll feel much better within yourself and about the future but it's up to you...

 

[Gl0w0ut]

You still haven't had tinnitus that long @Gl0w0wt. I believe if you follow the advice of fishbone, myself, glynis and others have given you. The negative thinking in time will reduce and you'll feel much better within yourself and about the future but it's up to you...

It has reduced, or evolved rather. I am now more angry and irritable than sad and depressed. Which is great because either one will increase my chance of having a heart attack and/or dying of heart disease. Yay me. And my amphetamine use for ADHD only accelerates that process.

 

[New Guy]

@ Michael, Thank you for putting together this information and thank you for sharing what you know about T on this forum. You and the regulars do such a great job of putting T in it's place and assuring many horrified souls, myself included, that it's a rough path but it will get better.

 

[Michael Leigh]

It has reduced, or evolved rather. I am now more angry and irritable than sad and depressed. Which is great because either one will increase my chance of having a heart attack and/or dying of heart disease. Yay me. And my amphetamine use for ADHD only accelerates that process.

There is still room for improvement but only you can do this. Your way hasn't worked so far perhaps it's time to change your strategy. Accentuate the positive things in your life and focus on them. Gradually negative thinking will recede into the background. Try to leave the research reading into tinnitus alone and cease talking about it. Try it for you may be surprised by the improvement that you'll gain.

Michael

 

[Gl0w0ut]

There is still room for improvement but only you can do this. Your way hasn't worked so far perhaps it's time to change your strategy. Accentuate the positive things in your life and focus on them. Gradually negative thinking will recede into the background. Try to leave the research reading into tinnitus alone and cease talking about it. Try it for you may be surprised by the improvement that you'll gain.

Michael

I'm not giving up on reading research. That's not going to happen.

 

[Michael Leigh]

I'm not giving up on reading research. That's not going to happen.

With respect, it this that reinforces negative thinking...

I wish you well.
Michael

 

[New Guy]

You're right.

I should cut back for a while and let things be and focus on doing what I enjoy. Perhaps I'll try to limit my visits here to once a day and stop with the hyper focus and let things be for a while with my sound machine and book about T to read.

I have been doing way more research than many hoping to find help. I had that bad experience at the ENT where I was told, "You have T, deal with it." That is my most horrifying moment of this yet. My goal has been to find hope or a way of coping and time here has done that.

I have been trying to pick myself off the couch and get back to normal routines, though much less than before. Today I've paid a bunch of bills and will be running errands.

If I didn't do my research I wouldn't have learned about sound machines to help in quiet rooms and that there are others out there just as scared as I am.

 

[Michael Leigh]

You're right.

I should cut back for a while and let things be and focus on doing what I enjoy. Perhaps I'll try to limit my visits here to once a day and stop with the hyper focus and let things be for a while with my sound machine and book about T to read.


@New guy
I have been doing way more research than many hoping to find help. I had that bad experience at the ENT where I was told, "You have T, deal with it." That is my most horrifying moment of this yet. My goal has been to find hope or a way of coping and time here has done that.

I have been trying to pick myself off the couch and get back to normal routines, though much less than before. Today I've paid a bunch of bills and will be running errands.

If I didn't do my research I wouldn't have learned about sound machines to help in quiet rooms and that there are others out there just as scared as I am.

There is nothing wrong in doing research and it's something I encourage especially if you are new to tinnitus. The important thing, in tinnitus research is to learn from people with experience rather than read "scientific data/information" about the brain and how it interacts or is affected by tinnitus. This is all theory and teaches a person nothing about tinnitus. Most of these "scientists and medical professionals" that write these long winded information have never experienced tinnitus in their life. Therefore they know nothing about it and can't teach a person how to cope with it.

Only someone that has this condition can help a person deal with the emotional impact that it will have on their life. All reading up on tinnitus research does is equip someone with information that they can repeat like a parrot, in a tinnitus forum or to their friends, and makes them come across as well informed and an intellectual but they know absolutely "Nothing" about coping and managing tinnitus. The end result is a person will often feel despondent, depressed and negative about their tinnitus.

Michael

 

[Tinker Bell]

I'm not giving up on reading research. That's not going to happen.

I think research is fine, as long as you have the ability to analyze the results, understand the study context, recognize any researcher bias, and put aside any bias you bring to the results. An example of personal bias would be ignoring any facets of a study that do not fall within your preferred narrative.

I cannot recall, are you in college? If so, perhaps take classes on statistical analysis. I took some in college, along with one on statistical deception that basically showed how easily findings are manipulated and sensationalized by the media. This is especially relevant when reading news articles versus actual study sources.

 

[Gl0w0ut]

I think research is fine, as long as you have the ability to analyze the results, understand the study context, recognize any researcher bias, and put aside any bias you bring to the results. An example of personal bias would be ignoring any facets of a study that do not fall within your preferred narrative.

I cannot recall, are you in college? If so, perhaps take classes on statistical analysis. I took some in college, along with one on statistical deception that basically showed how easily findings are manipulated and sensationalized by the media. This is especially relevant when reading news articles versus actual study sources.

I am versed in interpreting scientific studies if that is what you are wondering. Its true, I typically don't read the entire study when the Abstract, Results, and Discussion sections usually provide 90% of the detail I need to know regarding the study.

If your remarks are about my habituation post, then I will say that is my opinion. You feel differently than I do, and that is ok. I personally think if the brain is constantly using its attention network then it fights with the idea that habituation exists.

 

[Michael Leigh]

I am versed in interpreting scientific studies if that is what you are wondering. Its true, I typically don't read the entire study when the Abstract, Results, and Discussion sections usually provide 90% of the detail I need to know regarding the study.

If your remarks are about my habituation post, then I will say that is my opinion. You feel differently than I do, and that is ok. I personally think if the brain is constantly using its attention network then it fights with the idea that habituation exists.

Please be assured @Gl0w0ut my post and remarks were in no reference to you for I have tried to help you as well as others but you refuse to listen, so therefore have given up. My comments were to @New Guy who is curious and wants to learn more about tinnitus as I wanted to 22 years ago. I will endeaver to counsel him the best way I think possible if he or anyone else asks for my help. There are plenty other well informed people here that will steer him in the right direction and I wish him well.

Michael

 

[Tinker Bell]

I am versed in interpreting scientific studies if that is what you are wondering. Its true, I typically don't read the entire study when the Abstract, Results, and Discussion sections usually provide 90% of the detail I need to know regarding the study.

If your remarks are about my habituation post, then I will say that is my opinion. You feel differently than I do, and that is ok. I personally think if the brain is constantly using its attention network then it fights with the idea that habituation exists.

That may be your personal view, but that was not the conclusion drawn by the researchers. It is fine if that is your opinion, but make sure that is clear so that others do not think it's a fact.

And no, I was not referencing your habituation thread but rather tinnitus research in general. Misunderstanding research data or only looking at a negative aspect of a study happens on many TT threads by multiple posters.

 

[Gl0w0ut]

That may be your personal view, but that was not the conclusion drawn by the researchers. It is fine if that is your opinion, but make sure that is clear so that others do not think it's a fact.

And no, I was not referencing your habituation thread but rather tinnitus research in general. Misunderstanding research data or only looking at a negative aspect of a study happens on many TT threads by multiple posters.

My findings are an adaptation of the conclusions drawn by the study. Which is what the findings of a study are for. You taken them and interpret them. That may be your interpretation, just as my opinion is my interpretation.

 

[Gl0w0ut]

Please be assured @Gl0w0ut my post and remarks were in no reference to you for I have tried to help you as well as others but you refuse to listen, so therefore have given up. My comments were to @New Guy who is curious and wants to learn more about tinnitus as I wanted to 22 years ago. I will endeaver to counsel him the best way I think possible if he or anyone else asks for my help. There are plenty other well informed people here that will steer him in the right direction and I wish him well.

Michael

If I recall you gave up a while ago. Just "Ignore" me if that's how you feel.

 

[Starthrower]

Misunderstanding research data or only looking at a negative aspect of a study happens on many TT threads by multiple posters.

Sorry I haven't read all the posts in this thread. What used to really tick me off before TT was created was when the "professional" would come up with the same old remark There is no data to support your experience or the data states otherwise. Blah blah.

Back then my positive feeling about whatever helped to lower my tinnitus level or my reaction to it was put down and ridiculed.

 

[Michael Leigh]

If I recall you gave up a while ago. Just "Ignore" me if that's how you feel.

On the contrary @Gl0w0ut I have no reason to ignore you for you have always been polite and respectiful towards me. I respect your views too and won't try to advise you on certain things to do with tinnitus that is all.

All the best
Michael

 

[New Guy]

I haven't been searching for the magic cure for T. Trying to figure out what I may be in for (Individual results may vary). I'm stuck on this site because it's the best source for real world experience with the T and frankly it's the most positive bunch of folks I can find around.

 

[Michael Leigh]

I haven't been searching for the magic cure for T. Trying to figure out what I may be in for (Individual results may vary). I'm stuck on this site because it's the best source for real world experience with the T and frankly it's the most positive bunch of folks I can find around.

Please go to my "started threads" and there you will see a list of posts, that I think will help you to learn more about tinnitus and how it can affect us. There is information on coping methods. There are some very experienced people in this forum to and I suggest you read their posts. I don't want to forget anyone so won't mention names but start with the contributors on this thread.

Best of luck and if you have any questions please ask and I or someone else with try to help.
Michael

 

[New Guy]

Thanks Michael. You sent me a whole bunch of links in a thread and I've been working my way through them though I think most of the info was covered in this article.

 

[Michael Leigh]

Thanks Michael. You sent me a whole bunch of links in a thread and I've been working my way through them though I think most of the info was covered in this article.

Yes you are correct, but there are other posts that were written later which are not in the article.
Best of luck
Michael

 

[JudyM]

I really enjoyed reading your article and was kind of amazed I was able to concentrate to do so. Tinnitus is new to me. I began experiencing this roar mid May, 2019 but only intermittent. Effective July 6 after having a hearing test at the ENT office, it became constant and very loud at all times. My hearing was said to be good, only experienced a drop in hearing with very high sounds which the ENT said is normal as we age. He said I probably would never need hearing aids. Funniest thing to me was going in to see the ENT with intermittent tinnitus and coming out with a constant loud roar. Any thoughts anyone?