Tinnitus and Job Hunting — Need Some Advice

[nj78]

So I developed T recently while I was hunting for a new job. Possible that the stress of job searching has contributed to it onset. I had then put all job search on hold for like a month after I got it just to sort myself out, but I have now gotten back into it.

I work in financial technology, and the new jobs I am interviewing for will probably have a higher workload that my current job. Also, it will require me to commute about 1 1/2 hours each way, but that is mostly on a quiet train and probably mostly manageable. While the new jobs are more stressful with more work, they also have the potential to be more interesting than what I am doing now, and they are probably also more lucrative as well.

I would like to know what people think I should be doing. On the one hand, I am thinking I don't want to put my life and career on a hold just due to T, what would kind of let T win. On the other hand, my T is still pretty mild right now, and if due to the added stress of a new job and commuting its deterioration is accelerated, I would probably have second thoughts about the whole thing.

 

[nj78]

Nobody? If anybody here is working a pretty demanding job, can they share how it affects their tinnitus and how they manage it?

 

[Rubenslash]

I work in the financial sector. I believe my job is quite demanding because I usually commute about 2 hours per day being stuck in the traffic jams around Brussels, work on average 8-10 hours a day but when close to a deadline this could easily become 12-15 hours a day.

Effect on T? Rather small. I personally don't see a significant increase in T when I am stressed and even if it would increase it's never permanent. It's just an annoyance which I try to ignore as much as possible during the day but don't let it have an impact on your career please if your T is not very severe. Your T will not suddenly get worse due to a stressful job, believe me.

And just after my serious spike in T (noise induced) I went to work several times with 0-2 hours sleep. It was a serious struggle but I kept on fighting and didn't have 1 day illness. Now I am getting 5-6 hours sleep a day on average, still not enough but at least manageable.

 

[nj78]

I work in the financial sector. I believe my job is quite demanding because I usually commute about 2 hours per day being stuck in the traffic jams around Brussels, work on average 8-10 hours a day but when close to a deadline this could easily become 12-15 hours a day.

Effect on T? Rather small. I personally don't see a significant increase in T when I am stressed and even if it would increase it's never permanent. It's just an annoyance which I try to ignore as much as possible during the day but don't let it have an impact on your career please if your T is not very severe. Your T will not suddenly get worse due to a stressful job, believe me.

And just after my serious spike in T (noise induced) I went to work several times with 0-2 hours sleep. It was a serious struggle but I kept on fighting and didn't have 1 day illness. Now I am getting 5-6 hours sleep a day on average, still not enough but at least manageable.

Thanks Rubenslash, appreciate your insights. I hope this will be the case with me too, where stress doesn't affect it that much.

But I see your T is also still pretty new, less than a year old. Don't you worry that in the mid- to long-term your challenging work and life schedule can make your T worse permanently?

 

[MikeL1972]

Hey nj78,

I think your question relates to more of a quality of life matter than anything else. In my view, you should make a list on paper of the pros and cons of the commute/job and also write down questions you have. For example, can you tolerate sitting on a packed train daily for 90 minutes (or more with delays and such) one way amid a bunch of strangers with different personalities and quirks? Then, when you get to work, what are the expectations? Will you be working alone or with a team? What is a typical day like at this job? Can you work remotely part-time? Do you have to work outside of normal working hours? Have you met the team? These are detailed questions you need to ask to get a better handle on who you will be working with and what you will be doing.

In general, you need to feel good about a job and the people you work with. Otherwise, going to work every day will be a grind and you will be looking for an exit. In closing, when you interview, you need to interview them as much as they interview you; it's a two-way street. Good luck!

 

[Rubenslash]

Thanks Rubenslash, appreciate your insights. I hope this will be the case with me too, where stress doesn't affect it that much.

But I see your T is also still pretty new, less than a year old. Don't you worry that in the mid- to long-term your challenging work and life schedule can make your T worse permanently?

No I don't really worry about that. My job is demanding but I am not very prone to stress anyway.

Based on your threads here, I think you are too anxious about your T getting worse. Of course there are many people here whose T got worse, but don't forget that this is only a very small population of the T sufferers. There are many people with T that has been rather stable for years if not decades. You could also try to manage your stress level, there are tons of tips on the internet. Yoga and meditation seem to be helping some people here.

Nobody can make this decision for you. I don't want T to dictate my life. I protect my ears very well now but quitting my current job would be going way too far at this moment. There are many people with T who have demanding jobs..

 

[Zorro!]

Nobody? If anybody here is working a pretty demanding job, can they share how it affects their tinnitus and how they manage it?

Your problem isn't a demanding job, it's neurotic worry about the future. Stop making yourself sick. Learn relaxation techniques. Take a meditation course. Learn how to properly breathe so you can reach a calm state. This stuff is cumulative. Either you can let the neurosis build up and put you in an early grave or you can learn how to control your nervous system. It really is your choice.

And quite honestly who hasn't worked a high stress job? Try managing a staff of 30 people at Christmas who don't want to be there and have to be constantly monitored. Or try managing a cleaning system for residents of a gigantic senior living facility (over 300 units). That's stressful. But you know what, that's life. Stress is a part of life. So is learning how to deal with it.

 

[Sam Bridge]

My gf's dad has had tinnitus abd has been wearing hearing aids for about 15 years now. Hes always been in demanding jobs, currently a financial director at a company in London.

 

[fishbone]

Stress and higher blood pressure can increase T. Try to have reduce stress in anyway possible. Yoga, meditation..anyway possible.

 

[Gosia]

Pushing the body's limits by being overburdened with work, not getting enough sleep for long periods is what triggers T in many people so it's up to you. T or not T , never underestimate the impact of your lifestyle on your health in general and ask yourself if it's surely worth it . I don't see what is to be proud of in working after a sleepless night - I lived in a tention like that for a few months before I developed T. I did that because it was temporary and I wanted to achieve the goal (finish studies ), but I'd never agree to live like that because of the work. Maybe because I'm too conscious of the impact it has on each cell of your body and because I already have other issues. T is one of the possible consequences and I definitely take that into consideration while choosing a job. I will not do anything that could put mu health at stake. Your T may worsen or not, you never know. You can't assume it will nor that it won't so I'd rather say better safe than sorry , but others will say 'do whatever you like, despite T '' . I'm only 33 but life made me understand that no carreer or money is worth more than peace of mind and most of all - health. You can't work 12 hours pers day ( commuting included ) and take proper care of your body. People who work like that often have a stroke the first day they retire. And what do they have of life ? Not much, I'd say.

 

[nj78]

Thanks everybody for your responses. Don't think I am paranoid, but just a little bummed out that this happened to me right in the middle of my job search. The whole forum is full of people that say that they either had to stop working or only work from home now due to their T. You can say that's only a small minority of T sufferers, but only a small minority of people get T the way have it in the first place. So that means I have pulled the short end of the stick already once, and what says that I won't pull it again.

But I now tend to agree with the general consensus here though that putting your career on hold just due to T doesn't make sense, especially when the T is mild. Your T may worsen or not, regardless of whether you have a demanding job or you live like a hermit. I guess you have to take chances with T sometimes and if you really can't deal with it, then you can still make adjustments then. I will definitely try to take good care of my hearing and body, even if my days are 12 hours or longer. The good thing about my commute is that it will be mostly on the train for 1 hour. The train is actually very quiet and comfortable, and I'd rather be on the train for an hour than drive somewhere for 30 minutes, since I can relax, sleep, read a book, surf the Internet, etc. But giving up my ambitions and become bitter and blame T for the rest of my life for what could have been and wasn't, that's not really an option.

 

[Sam Bridge]

@nj78 You need to take this forum with a pinch of salt. When i first came here in May it really dragged me down because i started reading the horror stories and my mind just assumed thats how should feel(feel a bit stupid about that now). Anyway it took a while for it to sink in that everybody has different levels of t and so on.

I think mines mild/moderate at worst but i dare not even think of giving up work, i cope fairly well as it is now. If i gave up work i have no idea how that would work for me financially, would also het bored very quickly!