Tinnitus from a Young Age — Where I Am Now...

[Zeneth]

Long story short, I developed tinnitus & hyperacusis in 2016 when I was 13. Whether people think I was overreacting or not, I could not cope at all. I developed bad insomnia and anxiety, never really got depression but my life certainly took a turn for the worse. I asked to be switched from public school to online because middle school was loud! I slowly stopped going out due to the constant fear of any loud/sudden noise.

Over the course of 5 years I developed a few of the other things you commonly see with tinnitus: Visual Snow, Eustachian Tube Dysfunction, Brain Fog (worst thing ever), etc... Everything seemed to be slowly getting worse and still is.

Today I just graduated from high school (if online school wasn't so easy to cheat on, I definitely wouldn't have honestly). I know I'm expected to get a job but I genuinely don't know what I could functionally do. I don't want to become that guy that lives with his parents without a job, or a life. Although it seems I'm already at this point. I feel like I missed out on the best years of my life and don't know where to go from here.

 

[Simon85]

know I'm expected to get a job but I genuinely don't know what I could functionally do

It seems a lot more employers are open to working remotely which should be a positive for people with sensitivity to noise. I've been working remotely for over a year now.

Job searching can be a very long process, so try not to feel discouraged. If you can apply for a couple each day, regardless of whether you get positive responses back, then you're doing well.

 

[Mary97]

Zenith, I'm so sorry for what you had to endure at such a young age. Congratulations on finishing high school! Try not to put too much pressure on yourself. You've been through a lot already and although it's a cliche, I've learned in my 51 years of life that what will be, will be, despite all of our worrying. Just do the best you can. I'll bet you're pretty good on a computer and you'll find a job that's a good fit for you in a quiet environment.

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