Hello everyone! Way back in 2019 when my tinnitus first emerged, I introduced myself in a thread here. I was still deeply shaken at the time and in a state of denial, if I'm honest. The support and welcome I got in response to that post was a lifeline to me, and I'll forever be grateful for it (and for all of you and for this forum in general).
Since then I've been a lurker rather than an active poster/member, but I still check it once in a while to see what the latest research news is.
Because I feel I owe so much to this community, I thought I'd contribute my own success story. Like so many others have said before me, I remember reading the posts in this section obsessively, trying to find some solace and hope for my own situation; however, I couldn't imagine ever getting to that point myself. Here I am 2 and a half years later, finally ready to do just that. I hope that someone out there can glean some comfort from it.
To sum up my current tinnitus status: I still have it, but it is extremely quiet. In fact, I rarely hear it at all anymore. Over the past year I have gone literally months without so much as thinking about it. The only time I ever really hear it is when I'm in an exceptionally quiet room and, occasionally, at certain points throughout my menstrual cycle; even during those moments, it is so faint that I have to really strain to catch it. When I do hear it, I have no more emotional reaction to it than I do to the sound of my own breathing or the million other little sounds I hear every day.
I was never able to determine the cause of my tinnitus, but I assume it was brought on by listening to music too loudly through earbuds. When my tinnitus first started, I stopped listening to music that way immediately and haven't looked back since. I also had (limited) hyperacusis; I remember wincing at everyday sounds which were suddenly almost unbearable. The hyperacusis lasted for maybe a couple of months (I haven't thought about the start of my tinnitus in so long that I'm kinda struggling to remember things).
VERY, VERY gradually, the tinnitus started to become less distressing; there was nothing in particular I did to encourage this, aside from being more sensible about protecting my hearing. I am extremely lucky that the volume (which in the beginning was loud enough to hear over TV/radio and was a deep, almost bass rumbling that gave me headaches) decreased over time in almost imperceptibly small increments, until I reached the point I'm at today.
I truly believed this horrible thing that came out of nowhere (but which I'd brought on myself, which was even worse) was going to ruin my life. I struggled to function at all for the first few months as I tried to adapt to this new reality. I avoided large crowds (a habit I've returned to now, but for a different reason this time lol). I avoided travelling. I wore earplugs anywhere I wasn't able to control the volume of the environment. I didn't go near a cinema or live music events.
Since then, my life has more or less reverted to what it was before. I still don't listen to music through earbuds and I don't think I'll ever go back to a club/rock concert in my life, but I've discovered I don't need to: I am just as happy listening to music via speakers and attending less eardrum-rupturing live music gigs. I have resumed going back to the cinema, I've resumed travelling, I am one more semester away from completing a prestigious multiple Master's degree programme. I can safely say that I am as happy now as I was before April 2019 - in fact, I'm happier.
Having said all this, I want to close by saying that I am fully aware of how lucky I have been to have had a comparatively mild experience. Of course I'm not suggesting that everyone who develops tinnitus will be fortunate enough to have it follow the same trajectory as mine. My eyes have been opened to how truly destructive tinnitus can be; I'll never take chances with my hearing again, and I now constantly hound my friends and family about doing the same. I hope that science and emerging medical technologies pull through for this community and produce some real, effective treatments in the coming years. In the meantime (and finally), I want to say that I think everyone on this forum is extremely brave and I appreciate the work you do so much. I wish all of you the same peace I feel now. Keep going.
Thank you all again!
xxx
Since then I've been a lurker rather than an active poster/member, but I still check it once in a while to see what the latest research news is.
Because I feel I owe so much to this community, I thought I'd contribute my own success story. Like so many others have said before me, I remember reading the posts in this section obsessively, trying to find some solace and hope for my own situation; however, I couldn't imagine ever getting to that point myself. Here I am 2 and a half years later, finally ready to do just that. I hope that someone out there can glean some comfort from it.
To sum up my current tinnitus status: I still have it, but it is extremely quiet. In fact, I rarely hear it at all anymore. Over the past year I have gone literally months without so much as thinking about it. The only time I ever really hear it is when I'm in an exceptionally quiet room and, occasionally, at certain points throughout my menstrual cycle; even during those moments, it is so faint that I have to really strain to catch it. When I do hear it, I have no more emotional reaction to it than I do to the sound of my own breathing or the million other little sounds I hear every day.
I was never able to determine the cause of my tinnitus, but I assume it was brought on by listening to music too loudly through earbuds. When my tinnitus first started, I stopped listening to music that way immediately and haven't looked back since. I also had (limited) hyperacusis; I remember wincing at everyday sounds which were suddenly almost unbearable. The hyperacusis lasted for maybe a couple of months (I haven't thought about the start of my tinnitus in so long that I'm kinda struggling to remember things).
VERY, VERY gradually, the tinnitus started to become less distressing; there was nothing in particular I did to encourage this, aside from being more sensible about protecting my hearing. I am extremely lucky that the volume (which in the beginning was loud enough to hear over TV/radio and was a deep, almost bass rumbling that gave me headaches) decreased over time in almost imperceptibly small increments, until I reached the point I'm at today.
I truly believed this horrible thing that came out of nowhere (but which I'd brought on myself, which was even worse) was going to ruin my life. I struggled to function at all for the first few months as I tried to adapt to this new reality. I avoided large crowds (a habit I've returned to now, but for a different reason this time lol). I avoided travelling. I wore earplugs anywhere I wasn't able to control the volume of the environment. I didn't go near a cinema or live music events.
Since then, my life has more or less reverted to what it was before. I still don't listen to music through earbuds and I don't think I'll ever go back to a club/rock concert in my life, but I've discovered I don't need to: I am just as happy listening to music via speakers and attending less eardrum-rupturing live music gigs. I have resumed going back to the cinema, I've resumed travelling, I am one more semester away from completing a prestigious multiple Master's degree programme. I can safely say that I am as happy now as I was before April 2019 - in fact, I'm happier.
Having said all this, I want to close by saying that I am fully aware of how lucky I have been to have had a comparatively mild experience. Of course I'm not suggesting that everyone who develops tinnitus will be fortunate enough to have it follow the same trajectory as mine. My eyes have been opened to how truly destructive tinnitus can be; I'll never take chances with my hearing again, and I now constantly hound my friends and family about doing the same. I hope that science and emerging medical technologies pull through for this community and produce some real, effective treatments in the coming years. In the meantime (and finally), I want to say that I think everyone on this forum is extremely brave and I appreciate the work you do so much. I wish all of you the same peace I feel now. Keep going.
Thank you all again!
xxx
Member
-- Also, I don't know if you know it, but you're a very good writer!
I'm actually not finished my studies just yet - I have one more semester to go, during which I will be almost solely writing my thesis. So I'm going to put these writing skills to the test, lol.
it is thrilling when someone finds relief on here. As we empathise with those through their suffering, so do we rejoice with those that find success. (Plus, you come across as such a nice young lady!)
I am also always thrilled whenever I see a new post in the Success Stories section, no matter whether it's someone whose tinnitus as disappeared completely or someone who's reached the point where they've decided they can live with it. It's really inspiring to see. 
