Tinnitus for Anxiety Sufferers

[st0rch]

I was diagnosed with severe (can't leave my house panicking derealization severe) anxiety last year. After which I attended a very loud concert (Trying to make myself ok), and now have tinnitus.

I read somewhere on this forum that those who suffer from stress or anxiety could possibly be more prone to catching a bad case of tinnitus after loud noise exposure. It was a study or something, and I had even had that thought before I read the post... How could none of the people I went with, who were closer to the stage have any issues at all, but the one already suffering from debilitating anxiety gets tinnitus?! Could someone who has read or knows more about this study explain how they thought stress could trigger a weaker defense against noise?

Either way, they feed off each other like parasites, draining my body more every day. How can I get over anxiety with this constant noise, and how can I get over this constant noise with my mind being out of control? I'm literally so upset some times I just want to smash my head into a wall. I've habituated for the most part, able to sleep with it and ignore it throughout the day.... But I can't get over it, and like I said it's slowly eating me alive. Is it possible to conquer anxiety while you have tinnitus? I've accepted that my tinnitus will not go away, as it's been a year come November. Anxiety came out of NOWHERE for no reason and literally is so bad that I feel flu-ish every day...

Any tips? I can't do medication, but am open to any valuable suggestions. I know this isn't an anxiety forum... but there are some smart people here that have been through hard times. Thanks.

 

[DebInAustralia]

hi Storch,

Firstly, I am really sorry to hear about your struggle with severe anxiety. I have experienced anxiety at different periods of my life, and am currently experiencing high levels of anxiety. I find it quite paralysing at times to deal with. You are definitely not alone here.

What are you actually doing about your anxiety and what has worked for you in the past?

For me, the answer to addressing my anxiety lay in the results of a hair tissue analysis; which revealed I was severely copper toxic from adrenal exhaustion. Addressing this has definitely helped alleviate a lot of the anxiety driven by copper which is a stimulant.

If you are interested in that angle, have a look at Dr Lawrence Wilson's site where he discusses heavy metal toxicity and the use of nutritional balancing and supplements that aim at improving adrenal/liver function, and antagonising the metals out of your body.

I have also found hypnotherapy to be an invaluable tool for helping to alleviate stress and insomnia. You will find many hypno sessions on youtube. I see someone privately every so often when my anxiety is getting out of hand, along with using cds at home on a daily basis (usually at night as they help me to zzz)

I will look into the stress link to t and see if I can come up with something for you ok..........I have read that stress can somehow cause vulnerabilities to developing t...but not sure of the details......

With managing t and anxiety, (especially at the beginning of my t awareness journey) I found the most important thing was getting plenty of REM sleep. For me, that meant listening to soothing music at night, avoiding napping in the day time, avoiding stimulants etc coffee and chocolate close to bedtime (actually have given up these entirely as they are laden with copper!), listening to the self hypno cds, taking a hot bath before bed, having massages, exercise everyday, nutritional balancing program and so on..........

It was also very helpful getting support from a tinnitus phone support counsellor in the early days, getting back to work, keeping up with friends. Basically, just living my life as though I didn't have an awareness of t.

I found this site very helpful. www.tinnitus.org.au

Talking to peers with t was nice from the viewpoint that I felt less alone, and we were able to share info, but it also meant we were focusing on our t a lot; paying it more attention that it deserved.

Once I stopped feeling frightened of t, it lost its power. I sleep today without any noise in the background, can quite happily sit in a quiet room without awareness of t for hours, and my level of irritation has greatly reduced over time by doing the above. It will improve for you. What do you think?

 

[Ilija]

It's true man, when I went to a gig I had Tinnitus, now I am completely sure that if I didn't start getting depressed and having anxiety attacks every hour day 1 it would be gone by now, but from all the anxiety and stress and stuff I made it much worse than it was, I got mild hyperacusis along with it.
I'm only now starting to claw out of my anxiety about Tinnitus because I know it'll get better and eventually go but, while I may not have complete anxiety I have an obsessive disorder somewhat, it's selective my brain finds something and obsesses about it until it's resolved.
I'm always going around telling people to take magnesium supplements and with good reason, take magnesium, people with magnesium deficiency can have sever anxiety, also take a lot of b vitamins especially b6 and b12 as those are sort of an drug free anti anxiety somewhat, they calm the nerves I used them instead of using anti depressants or anything of the sorts.
As for how to get over it, get a tv show you really like, I suggest Breaking Bad or Sherlock get into it and you'll forget all about your worries.
Video games also do the trick for me.
Just find something you really love doing and do it.
Yes you can overcome Tinnitus with anxiety, many people have, it's hard but no impossible.
I wish you the best of luck in your recovery.

 

[billie48]

Hi st0rch, sorry about your suffering with T and anxiety. I have lived and survived with anxiety and panic disorders for decades prior to T & H. Yes, I remember when I was hit by anxiety and panic attacks, I was home bound for a long time, and that was when I was a 23 year young lad. I thought the world was going to end as I constantly faced the A & P symptoms and they were horrible to bear. Many forms of phobia developed, fear for public places, feeling suffocated in any closed or crowded space such as a lift/elevator, the malls where there are lots of people, in church. I couldn't even sleep everyday until early dawn. I couldn't work or socialize properly. The A & P disorders also were my constant companions during my professional life, and there are phobia such as fear of fainting in front of people. I hate to have all eyes on me, that will cause my mind to fear I would faint and I would struggle to breathe. I would have to excuse myself to go to the restroom and took some Ativan, a benzo, just to calm my nerve. LOL.

So when T & H first hit m a few years ago, they literally opened the flood gate of hell of relentless anxiety and panic attacks on auto mode daily, even hourly. Meds were my best friends back then. I was in a sea of sufferings, those from T & H and those horrible symptoms from A & P attacks. You can read my success story here to read about those sufferings if you like. Suffice to say I was so overwhelmed that the big 'S' word was dangling daily in front of this exhausted and stressed out mind as it saw no way out. I thought I would never recover from these monsters in my life.

Well, never say never. Today I am back to normal living an absolutely enjoyable life. I am heading out of the door to go salmon fishing right after replying here. Don't give up and don't panic. Good life can still be back. Keep up the hope and keep learning from those who have gotten better. CBT techniques have helped me tremendously, not just for coping with T, but also help heal my A & P disorders. I haven't have any more A & P attacks since I learn to apply those skills in my life. When you learn to challenge the distorted thoughts (called cognitive distortions in CBT), you begin to help yourself deal with anxiety better. Check out Dr. Hubbard's writing on the success story as he is specialized in CBT.

So you can survive your T and hopefully your anxiety problem given time and adopting a proper strategy. If anything, pursuing your hobbies will help. Don't lose this hope that you will get better. If your anxiety is like mine or less, then have faith that you will be ok too. I am also contributing in anxiety forums and have written my story of my life overcoming decades of A & P disorders. If you are interested, check this out:

http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showt...xiety-and-panic-disorder-and-life-s-challenge

 

[Grace]

I was diagnosed with GAD, panic disorder and the horrible derealization/depersonalization few years back.. Couldnt leave my house.. That feeling like your not in the present filled with anxiety and panic and to the point where your body goes numb when you walk you cant feel your legs, and you feel out of body. I compare it to being high on MJ.. Which is why i cant smoke weed. But anyways i know what you mean, it is the Most terrifying thing if anyone else hasnt experienced it before, i still get lil attacks of them and when they hit i remember saying "omfg ill take louder T right now". Anyways thats when my doc put me on klonopin to stop the "dereal/deper panic attacks and it took them mostly away was able to leave the house again and liveee. Then lexapro kicked in and i stopped takin the benzo on the daily and then flash forward 1 1/2 i get T.. But i dont know if that had anything to do with my anxiety cause my T dropped 90% after day 2 and i was havin severe anxiety for those 2 days when i woke up and thought its gonee! It was like a a rock lifted off. I think T is to unpredictable.. Some may get it, some may not even though they were exposed to the same thing, some will go away, some might almost go away like mine, but i think it mostly depends on the person, each ears react different ways. Anyways if your still dealing with the derealization thing i suggest staying on a benzo until you can get counseling help to get SOME relief. Others may tell you to not get hooked but they also then havent experienced what its like to have one of those specific attacks. One day at a timeeee!

 

[dan]

I was diagnosed with severe (can't leave my house panicking derealization severe) anxiety last year. After which I attended a very loud concert (Trying to make myself ok), and now have tinnitus.

Yes I got T virtually the same way as you and I asked the same question of myself - how come the people around me were OK with no tinnitus, except me! I think that GAD makes the brain filters more vulnerable to collapse.
Doctors should warn GAD patients to stay away from loud noise at all costs! - or use protection.

 

[Dan Reagan]

I, too have a history of anxiety and panic attacks before T, then after my concussion induced T began I experienced panic and anxiety that was literally killing me, my doctor said on a scale of 1 to 10, I was a 10 on the anxiety chart. I was on benzos and other meds until I was able to get better grip on my new reality. I'm much better now but still struggle with anxious feelings with the ups and downs of living with T.

 

[Carlos1]

I, too have a history of anxiety and panic attacks before T, then after my concussion induced T began I experienced panic and anxiety that was literally killing me, my doctor said on a scale of 1 to 10, I was a 10 on the anxiety chart. I was on benzos and other meds until I was able to get better grip on my new reality. I'm much better now but still struggle with anxious feelings with the ups and downs of living with T.

Me too Dan every day is a challenge with the T devil....There are times I think I can live with this T no problem then other times I just barely make it through the day without having a break down ...Hang in there man

 

[Marlene]

Most miserable condition to have ,mine began after meds ,not before .Its been along road to getting back some better days .The meds changed my T ,don't I wish I'd left well alone .That said I've read some of people's post ,so yes what happened to me ,was what it was ,but what a price I'm paying for those meds ,but others have said they were there lifesavers yes I do understand where they to come from .T we curse ,the misery it lays at your feet .My ears now high and low where as before it was fine ,I was coping well with it ,noise was central .this anxiety depends now to the changes I now get with T .and I get the daily balance which doesent help in past 3 years .Think we just get by best we know how .

 

[Marcini]

I also have GAD though not as serious as others have mentioned and live a normal enough life with it so most people wouldn't even know. The GAD predates the T but the T has certainly been #1 on the anxiety list for much of the past few years. It is very interesting to know that there is seemingly a link between those prone to anxiety and those prone to T. What the link is and what we do about it is another question. Sadly it may be some time before someone joins the dots.