Which Is Safer? A Few Drinks a Day or Taking ADs, Benzos or Other Mind-Altering Chemicals?

[Tamika]

Should I switch to taking the more politically correct route of poping pills and not smelling of booze? Or should I be white knuckling this, just grin and bear it with nothing at all?

I would never judge another person's choices. Sometimes you just have to weigh up the risks and survive the best way you can. I'm still only 3 months in and was looking at that 'S' word. I'm on a small dose of AD and benzos and rather large amount of alcohol (5 stubbies a night) for my small size (52kg). I'm reducing the alcohol now even though it relieves the T or else I know I'm going to be dealing with more health issues and pain down the track, and its enough dealing with T. That's my only incentive for reducing the alcohol. However prior to T I was a real health nut (no drugs or alcohol) and in great shape.

 

[yonkapin]

Alcoholism is sneaky. You might be stable on 6 or so drinks a night at the moment, but eventually that will increase because of tolerance and dependency. I've had family suffer from alcoholism for decades and it isn't pretty, I've also had a close friend's brother die from from late stage alcoholic liver cirrhosis at the age of 34 just a couple weeks ago. So, long term it really isn't ideal but I understand how easy it is to slip into these habits, I've done so myself in the past.

Benzodiazepines can be helpful but also have a slippery slope of dependency and withdrawal issues themselves. Things can get very tricky especially if you under the care of a doctor who doesn't understand the complexity of GABAergic drugs. They're best used in moderation, so only when you absolutely need them. Daily use can lead to a bunch of problems down the road. It's something you'd need to look into and make the call on yourself though. If you pursue these drugs you need to find a good doctor you have a rapport with and you feel that you can trust in helping you use them effectively. Also you should research the shit out of how they work and the possible benefits and negatives they provide.

Can't really give an opinion on anti-depressants since I have no experience with them personally, but have never been a fan. However, some people swear by them on here.

If you haven't tried talk therapy or CBT type therapy, and have the money for it, try that route. Otherwise do as much research as possible and make an informed decision about the treatment path you want to follow. Whether it's self medicating, using benzos or taking the AD route.

Also it's important to realize that a big factor in your reliance on alcohol through out the day is probably because you aren't working, and spend the majority of the day at home. Try to find some new hobbies or activities you can pursue that don't aggravate your symptoms to try and distract from the need to escape using something like alcohol, it'll make a world a difference.

Anyway good luck, I know how horrible things can be especially when hyperacusis is involved. I had what I'd consider moderate to severe hyperacusis from mid 2013 to the middle end of last year, but it has improved like crazy over the last year or so. My left ear used to be in pain all day, every day for a long, long time. It made everything unbearable. The pain would radiate to other parts of my face and jaw and made life pretty shitty for a while. Now, my hyperacusis has settled and my sound tolerance has increased dramatically. I honestly think it was just time that healed things the most, felt like an eternity at the time but things did improve.

Grit it out for now and give it some more time, but try to keep yourself healthy in the meanwhile.

 

[Evian]

A few drinks a day, or taking ADs, benzos or other mind altering chemicals?

I choose to have a few drinks every day, I use this as medicine, mainly just wine and beer. I have maybe 6 drinks a day on average. I'm a big guy at 250 pounds or so, I can't really get drunk on this, esspecially spread through out the day, I NEVER EVER get wasted or drunk. I have been on this controlled amout of booze for almost two years now with T. Absolutely zero side effects..none. Also I don't drink more than what I have to to numb the T and H issue.

Ideally I don't want any of this and would like to live a clean life like I did prior to T but somehow I need a crutch with this shit. I feel very guilty about not being able to go this without the help of some substance to numb the pain. I guess I'm weaker than I thought.

I choose a few glasses of wine and a couple of beers a day over drugs. Some people in my family think that I should be doing this without the help of booze. What's strange is that I'm sure if I was poping adivan every day on the doctors orders this would all be just be fine by them.

I'm a strong person but for some reason I can't go it on my own. I would go as far as to say that booze has saved my life many times since the onset of T.

I have catastrophic T and H, I don't work because of it and am just trying to get through the day, this seems to do the trick. It's not a cure and I still live in hell but it numbs the pain and strips a few layers of the hell away.

Should I switch to taking the more politically correct route of poping pills and not smelling of booze? Or should I be white knuckling this, just grin and bear it with nothing at all?

Any opinions would be much appreciated. Thx

Whilst I think there are a lot of good opinions and information on alcohol on this thread.

I think that you need to do what you need to do to get through the day. We area all going to die of so ethi g in the end.

I feel so ill a lot of the time that maybe drinking my life away would be the answer.


Do what works for you if it ain't worsening the T&H that is surely your main concern

I think it's more natural than filling yourself with benzo and prescription meds. Lots of people are in this mess due to prescription meds.

Do t see many people say they think they got their tinnitus from alcohol

 

[linearb]

Do t see many people say they think they got their tinnitus from alcohol

You haven't spend much time around hardcore alcoholics, I'd say.

 

[Evian]

You haven't spend much time around hardcore alcoholics, I'd say.

This is true.

It's just that on this board where people state what has caused their T I haven't seen alcohol but then I guess not many hard chore alcoholics are on an IPad much

 

[Telis]

This is true.

It's just that on this board where people state what has caused their T I haven't seen alcohol but then I guess not many hard chore alcoholics are on an IPad much

I'm sure you would see them here, esspecially recovering alcoholics. Based on what I have seen, I'm not a believer that alcohol is a very common cause of Tinnitus or a cause at all. It really does seem to be the pill popper group. One of the few people that I do know with T turns out to be a person that has been on benzos for 20 years. She has T, however very very minor.

I've been around a lot of drinkers in my day, None of them have T issues as a result. Then again, I don't really know anyone with T or any kind of health issues for that matter. People are either sick and die quickly or are healthy and living well in my surroundings it seems. I thought this how life was. Haha. I didn't have a clue that people suffered for their entire lives, I want my ignorant bliss back!!

 

[nike_madness]

I'll be honest - Alcohol totally numbed my T. (when I had it).. The sounds were so buried that I could barely hear it. I wouldn't be dependent on Alcohol, though. Isn't healthy and there's always consequences (health wise)

 

[PaulBe]

I think you should do whatever it takes, and cut back that which you eventually decide doesn't help. A few drinks and a benzo to help get to REM sleep. You'll probably work out that you just won't need that many drinks in time.

 

[Dr. Ancill]

Benzodiazenes and antidepressants are not 'mind altering' drugs and to think that alcohol is a preferable 'treatment' is foolish and potentially much worse for your longer-term health than any psychiatric medication. I would strongly advise any tinnitus sufferer to seek competent medical help and not rely on alcohol. Although some people feel alcohol helps them cope, the more likely outcome is symptom amplification, especially in acute withdrawal.

 

[Telis]

Benzodiazenes and antidepressants are not 'mind altering' drugs and to think that alcohol is a preferable 'treatment' is foolish and potentially much worse for your longer-term health than any psychiatric medication. I would strongly advise any tinnitus sufferer to seek competent medical help and not rely on alcohol. Although some people feel alcohol helps them cope, the more likely outcome is symptom amplification, especially in acute withdrawal.

Bahahah...Yes these are mind altering substances, I have been on Effexor for tinnitus, it turns me into a different person completely, if this is not mind altering than I don't know what is.

I'm not sure if you are aware...there have been many lawsuits awarded to the victims that have had their lives taken away due to these drugs by the pharmaceutical companies. Side effects can include increased suicidal risk along with homicidal tendencies. What the hell else do you need? This isn't mind altering? Really? You Aren't serious are you?Or do you just go by what the drug companies/dealers pitch to you?

I guess if I were a drug dealer/doctor peddling these drugs I would say the same thing, too bad not everyone is a sucker hey?

Amplification? Well I seemed to loose more hearing and get worse on ADs as many many people do. I have now heard from easily a thousand people over the past year that their Tinnitus was actually caused by taking these drugs, all a misunderstanding right? Same thing every time...my doctor told me it wasn't from the meds and didn't believe me.

What do you think these drugs do if they aren't altering your mind? You know, people aren't that stupid, there are facts out there that are very easily accessible.

 

[Telis]

@Dr. Ancill Why not educate yourself before making such wild claims as" Benzodiazenes and antidepressants are not mind altering"

Here is a link that @Dr. Charlie posted a while back:

http://www.breggin.com/31-49.pdf

 

[linearb]

I think you should do whatever it takes, and cut back that which you eventually decide doesn't help. A few drinks and a benzo to help get to REM sleep. You'll probably work out that you just won't need that many drinks in time.

Err... benzos disrupt sleep; they disrupt SWS (deep sleep) short and long term, and to the extent that they temporarily increase REM cycles, this comes at the expense of a loss of deep sleep.

Benzos and Z drugs should absolutely not be used more than short-term as a sleep aid, or else you are literally making your problems worse.

Doing "whatever you need to do to get through the day" seems like a pretty short-sighted strategy, if one is considering things which are obviously unsustainable (like excessive drinking).

 

[linearb]

Benzodiazenes and antidepressants are not 'mind altering' drugs and to think that alcohol is a preferable 'treatment' is foolish and potentially much worse for your longer-term health than any psychiatric medication.

Haha, really? Have you ever, you know, taken any of these drugs?

I assure you that they are very mind-altering, causing deep, significant changes in perception, mood, and the whole experience of "reality". Were this not the case, they wouldn't do anything at all!

 

[dboy]

When I was having a hard time coping with a big jump in my t volume a couple of years ago I was prescribed these drugs by two separate doctors (a GP and an ENT) despite quite explicitly saying I wanted nothing to do with them. The GP has tried to push me toward taking them on two subsequent occasions. From my experience working for a mental health charity I knew that many people regret taking them. And from many stories I have since read on Tinnitus Talk about t worsening from these drugs, as well as other problems arising, I am very glad indeed that I stood firm and resisted the pressure.

My opinion is that the foolish thing to do is to put complete trust in any doctor, however competent she or he seems or claims to be. And when it comes to pharmaceuticals, people should always research before taking and make an informed decision themselves, since it is the patient that will bear the consequences. I learnt this the hard way. Taking eardrops prescribed by my GP (containing the most ototoxic aminoglycoside going!) contributed to the jump in t volume that he then wanted to treat the emotional fallout of with benzos, which can also cause t! Fortunately for me, by that point I was starting to learn the lesson.

I found this article to be a useful summary:

http://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/beware-of-benzodiazepinesnasty-time-bomb-ambushes-the-unwary/

 

[Evian]

I'm sure you would see them here, esspecially recovering alcoholics. Based on what I have seen, I'm not a believer that alcohol is a very common cause of Tinnitus or a cause at all. It really does seem to be the pill popper group. One of the few people that I do know with T turns out to be a person that has been on benzos for 20 years. She has T, however very very minor.

I've been around a lot of drinkers in my day, None of them have T issues as a result. Then again, I don't really know anyone with T or any kind of health issues for that matter. People are either sick and die quickly or are healthy and living well in my surroundings it seems. I thought this how life was. Haha. I didn't have a clue that people suffered for their entire lives, I want my ignorant bliss back!!

I agree people are either sick and get better or really sick and die. Not condemned to this living hell, it's inhuman.

I took amitryptilyne for 12 years and zopiclone for 6. I have loads of potential reasons for my T & H many of them were alledgedy about preserving my health.
I wish I had been a drinker instead. I know lots of drinkers none have T or H as far as I know

I don't think we should judge other people's choices we are all in the same really rocky boat

 

[uae96]

it is the patient that will bear the

I agree ! Good point !

 

[linearb]

I agree people are either sick and get better or really sick and die. Not condemned to this living hell, it's inhuman.

I have spent enough time around chronically ill people to think that chronic illness is not especially uncommon, and also that tinnitus, while extremely unpleasant and life-changing, is far from the top of the list as far as "terrible maladies that people live with for a long, long time".

On the few occasions when I've referred to tinnitus in my work—as an example of a private phenomenon that we can speak about objectively—I've heard from readers also suffering from this condition who are extremely grateful to hear it talked about in public. That is one of the reasons I have produced this essay. Many people who experience illness imagine that everyone else is blissfully getting on with life in perfect health—and this illusion compounds their suffering.

(emphasis mine, taken from http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/adventures-in-the-land-of-illness)

 

[Cheza]

Many people who experience illness imagine that everyone else is blissfully getting on with life in perfect health—and this illusion compounds their suffering.

Sometimes when I feel really down because the noise is so intrusive, I remember that Sam Harris is a writer of serious intellectual stature (although I'm often at odds with his positions). His ability to concentrate is severely affected and yet he perseveres. This gives me a bit of hope that I can eventually resume my writing.

The difference is that Sam Harris has tonal tinnitus, IIRC, but mine is noise. Like right now it's a tea kettle whistle overlaying a swarm of cicadas. It's going to be a long day.

 

[linearb]

The difference is that Sam Harris has tonal tinnitus, IIRC, but mine is noise. Like right now it's a tea kettle whistle overlaying a swarm of cicadas. It's going to be a long day.

I wouldn't call it tonal just based on what he said here:

I certainly mourn the loss of silence. In its place, I have an endless whistle—part cricket, part electrical interference—that makes any condition of external silence unpleasant. This sound is the first thing I notice upon waking, and it waxes and wanes throughout the day.

I am also of the opinion that the nature of the noise doesn't actually have much to do with the amount of distress. This is counterintuitive, but I believe it for two reasons:
1) evidence-based: imaging studies of tinnitus patients have pretty convincingly demonstrated that the volume/noise/audio aspect of tinnitus originates from different brain structures than the resulting distress. That is, people who show gray-matter loss in the area of the right anterior insula, reliably exhibit a high degree of distress, regardless of the volume/nature of their tinnitus. Likewise, tinnitus patients without this specific gray-matter loss, reliably exhibit a low degree of distress about their tinnitus, also regardless of the volume/nature of it.

2) anecdotal: I have a good buddy who seems to have "the same" tinnitus as me. That is, he describes the sound in the same way, he is able to clearly hear it over the same kinds of background noise that I am able to hear it over, and he is able to hear it in more or less all environments. He describes the pitch/frequency the same way I do. And yet... he doesn't see it as a disability, and doesn't obsess over it or even seem to care about it very much. He literally didn't know the word "tinnitus" before I brought it to his attention, and he told me that he's heard this sound for years and always assumed it was a normal part of aging, and is not bothered by it. Similar sounds, different brains, different results...

 

[Evian]

I wouldn't call it tonal just based on what he said here:


I am also of the opinion that the nature of the noise doesn't actually have much to do with the amount of distress. This is counterintuitive, but I believe it for two reasons:
1) evidence-based: imaging studies of tinnitus patients have pretty convincingly demonstrated that the volume/noise/audio aspect of tinnitus originates from different brain structures than the resulting distress. That is, people who show gray-matter loss in the area of the right anterior insula, reliably exhibit a high degree of distress, regardless of the volume/nature of their tinnitus. Likewise, tinnitus patients without this specific gray-matter loss, reliably exhibit a low degree of distress about their tinnitus, also regardless of the volume/nature of it.

2) anecdotal: I have a good buddy who seems to have "the same" tinnitus as me. That is, he describes the sound in the same way, he is able to clearly hear it over the same kinds of background noise that I am able to hear it over, and he is able to hear it in more or less all environments. He describes the pitch/frequency the same way I do. And yet... he doesn't see it as a disability, and doesn't obsess over it or even seem to care about it very much. He literally didn't know the word "tinnitus" before I brought it to his attention, and he told me that he's heard this sound for years and always assumed it was a normal part of aging, and is not bothered by it. Similar sounds, different brains, different results...

Well I kind of agree as I have had chronic pain conditions for 14 years, but they were/ far more manageable than chronic tinnitus and Hyperacusis so I kind of speak a bit from experience

 

[linearb]

Yeah, I guess my point was mostly that no matter how bad things are, it's generally possible to find someone in worse shape, and that going around comparing ourselves to the happiest, healthiest people we can find is just a perilous path towards feeling worse than we do already.

That, and the basic Zen that old age, illness and death are inevitable, your body will at some point fail you in the most horrifying way imaginable, yadda yadda etc etc. Modern marketing and consumerism paint a feel-good veneer over the basic horror of existence, but on some level, everyone is afraid of pain and death, and everyone is headed towards pain and death sooner or later. This comes as quite a shock to many pampered Western minds when they see the first signs of things starting to break; in more traditional societies it was probably less shocking because life was a lot harder in general, and people rarely lived into old age without one horrific malady or another.

edit: and to be more on topic here, I think that many people resort to mind-altering chemicals of one kind or another, to try to escape that very basic truth, "everything is dying", etc. Some people in DSM-oriented circles frankly feel that anyone with a basic mindful awareness of their own fragility is expressing a disorder of one kind or another which is best medicated away, and I find that idea both laughable and horrifying.

Coppola/Brando were succinct and on point here:

 

[Evian]

Yeah, I guess my point was mostly that no matter how bad things are, it's generally possible to find someone in worse shape, and that going around comparing ourselves to the happiest, healthiest people we can find is just a perilous path towards feeling worse than we do already.

That, and the basic Zen that old age, illness and death are inevitable, your body will at some point fail you in the most horrifying way imaginable, yadda yadda etc etc. Modern marketing and consumerism paint a feel-good veneer over the basic horror of existence, but on some level, everyone is afraid of pain and death, and everyone is headed towards pain and death sooner or later. This comes as quite a shock to many pampered Western minds when they see the first signs of things starting to break; in more traditional societies it was probably less shocking because life was a lot harder in general, and people rarely lived into old age without one horrific malady or another.

edit: and to be more on topic here, I think that many people resort to mind-altering chemicals of one kind or another, to try to escape that very basic truth, "everything is dying", etc. Some people in DSM-oriented circles frankly feel that anyone with a basic mindful awareness of their own fragility is expressing a disorder of one kind or another which is best medicated away, and I find that idea both laughable and horrifying.

Coppola/Brando were succinct and on point here:

I see your point. To be honest I have a big problem with modern medicines quest for longevity.

All I see is people living their last 20 years with ill health instaed of their last 10.

Westerners often living to 90 rather than 80 but with no quality of life.

Really my health deserted me at about 42/43 and here I am at 59 acquired chronic unmaskable T and H with a blind bed bound father still alive at 93. The eyesight condition he has is hereditary. I don't think I can make it through another 34 years.

I don't know if I am going to make it with this T the big S is on my mind a lot but I have a 20 and 22 year old and don't want them to have to live with that stigma although my hubbie says he would make them understand.

I could really do with being out of here on the three score years and ten that the Bibke mentions. My dad doesn't want to be here either :-(. He says people are living too long these days

 

[Cheza]

... people who show gray-matter loss in the area of the right anterior insula, reliably exhibit a high degree of distress, regardless of the volume/nature of their tinnitus. Likewise, tinnitus patients without this specific gray-matter loss, reliably exhibit a low degree of distress about their tinnitus, also regardless of the volume/nature of it.

Thank you for the correction re Harris. I seem to recall that the tinnitus first presented when he was at some sort of event and a high-pitched tone suddenly appeared and never ceased. I wasn't aware that he had the extreme plague type of T.

I researched as best I could the right anterior insula but there's too much online to narrow down its other functions and why tinnitus appears if there is loss of gray matter there. One could attribute it to age, but there are plenty of young sufferers in major distress due to their T. I wonder if perhaps it has something to do with the initial reaction to the T (particularly in the first few month) which causes the loss of gray matter in that area, rather than the loss of gray matter initially causing the reaction of distress to T.

There is an interesting article which may (or may not) support the belief that stress causes T. Apparently PTSD reduces gray matter. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3498281/ If PTSD can cause loss of gray matter, then why wouldn't persistent stress disorder also cause loss of gray matter? I'm thinking of people like @Martin, who attributes his severe T to stress.

Distress level being correlated with loss of gray matter is very troubling, but according to a Harvard study, gray matter can be rebuilt in the hippocampus. http://bit.ly/1SGv5Bn

Good news: mindfulness meditation also creates increased gray matter in the right anterior insula. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3460809/

Excerpt: "Few studies have investigated the relationship between mindfulness meditation and brain structures. Lazar et al. showed that meditators whose practice included mindfulness factors showed thicker gray matter in the right anterior insula than a control group. The right anterior insula contains interoceptive re-representations that substantialize all subjective feelings from the body and perhaps emotional awareness. Additionally, in a longitudinal study, a reduction in perceived stress by mindfulness-based stress reduction intervention for 8 weeks was correlated with a change in gray matter density within the right amygdala. The amygdala is well known to play a primary role in psychological and physiological emotional responses. Furthermore, Luder, Toga, Lepore and Gaser showed that meditators have greater gray matter volume in the right orbitofrontal cortex, and Hölzel et al. demonstrated that the gray matter concentration in meditators was greater in the right anterior insula and right hippocampus."

I used to meditate but never really cared for it much, as my mind wandered constantly due to my overwhelming schedule. Perhaps it's time to try meditation again.

Edit to add: Here is a mindfulness meditation video for anxiety, depression, and stress relief. The actual MM part begins at approximately 1:45. His voice makes me sleepy. The last thing I need is to fall asleep during the day, because it creates a horrific spike when I wake up.

 

[passerby]

I know which of the two choices that taste better...

 

[Gabrielle]

A few drinks a day, or taking ADs, benzos or other mind altering chemicals?

AD's, benzo's etc. do not help me a lot, so I also take alcohol to make it trough the day.
I did not ever drink before T. Just sometimes one glass of wine by diner.

But T changes my life completely. I drink gin/vodka as a medicine. So T does not bother me a so much and I can fall in sleep a bit better.

Just take what you need to survive T.

You only have ONE life. And T will not go away.
I at least have never ever heard someone who get rid of T.
Only stories from others, like "I know someone, his T has stopped after 2 years", etc.

But never ever the person him/herself has shared a story like that. Not on this forum, I understand, but also not in magazines, tv, newspapers, etc.

So... cheers.

 

[Richard Wallace]

A few drinks a day, or taking ADs, benzos or other mind altering chemicals?

I choose to have a few drinks every day, I use this as medicine, mainly just wine and beer. I have maybe 6 drinks a day on average. I'm a big guy at 250 pounds or so, I can't really get drunk on this, esspecially spread through out the day, I NEVER EVER get wasted or drunk. I have been on this controlled amout of booze for almost two years now with T. Absolutely zero side effects..none. Also I don't drink more than what I have to to numb the T and H issue.

Ideally I don't want any of this and would like to live a clean life like I did prior to T but somehow I need a crutch with this shit. I feel very guilty about not being able to go this without the help of some substance to numb the pain. I guess I'm weaker than I thought.

I choose a few glasses of wine and a couple of beers a day over drugs. Some people in my family think that I should be doing this without the help of booze. What's strange is that I'm sure if I was poping adivan every day on the doctors orders this would all be just be fine by them.

I'm a strong person but for some reason I can't go it on my own. I would go as far as to say that booze has saved my life many times since the onset of T.

I have catastrophic T and H, I don't work because of it and am just trying to get through the day, this seems to do the trick. It's not a cure and I still live in hell but it numbs the pain and strips a few layers of the hell away.

Should I switch to taking the more politically correct route of poping pills and not smelling of booze? Or should I be white knuckling this, just grin and bear it with nothing at all?

Any opinions would be much appreciated. Thx

Hi Telis, I know your post here is from a little while ago but I want to elaborate on it. I'm 50 years old and I've had alcohol in my life since I was a teenager. I still drink a little bit. The problem with alcohol is that you build up a tolerance for it like other drugs and medications. I know this from personal experience. I can't make any decisions for you. Taking benzos for me (clonezapam) has had the same effect in regard to building up a tolerance for it. I'm not endorsing alcohol here, but if that's the route you choose, please be aware of the tolerance issue and please don't increase your intake. It will only lead to problems in your life. I'll keep praying that GOD will heal and help us all. Your friend......... God Bless...... Rich

 

[Telis]

Hi Telis, I know your post here is from a little while ago but I want to elaborate on it. I'm 50 years old and I've had alcohol in my life since I was a teenager. I still drink a little bit. The problem with alcohol is that you build up a tolerance for it like other drugs and medications. I know this from personal experience. I can't make any decisions for you. Taking benzos for me (clonezapam) has had the same effect in regard to building up a tolerance for it. I'm not endorsing alcohol here, but if that's the route you choose, please be aware of the tolerance issue and please don't increase your intake. It will only lead to problems in your life. I'll keep praying that GOD will heal and help us all. Your friend......... God Bless...... Rich

Thanks a lot Rich. I have noticed that it does next to nothing for me as of late, I'm going to take a break. Three days so far no booze and I feel fine so I will stick with it for a bit. I find it gets quite tiring anyway, lots of days just forcing it down to help numb my brain from T. And like you said, I'm building a resistance to it anyway so I might as well just not do it for a while.

 

[NiNyu]

@Telis, we raised this subject before and you know my view.^^

Like with everything the amount makes the poison.

Guys, we are talking here wine and beer and not bottles of Jack or rum. You have to differentiate! Not every alcoholic beverage is the same. Just like not every T is the same. Matter of fact, wine is actually healthy in moderation. For instance, take the French or Italian they drink everyday a glass or two of wine and they smile.
I drink wine and the tipsy feeling helps to cope a little, it takes off the edge of T. I don't drink everyday, but if I drink -- it's party time. Just kidding. I drink one or two glasses of wine. But I also detox.
I tried benzos before but they make my T just worse the next day whereas wine doesn't.
I totally agree with @Evian and @Gabrielle you gotta do what you gotta do to make it somehow through this hell. Besides, who wants to live long with this kind of ailment?
And anybody that believes that popping heavy drugs are the **safer** path to stride in the long run be my guest, or I should rather say pharmaceutical guinea pig.
I can only endorse to give wine or beer a try before popping heavy pills. Wine and beer is of vegetable origin. It's part of nature. And I rather trust nature than greedy humans that thrive on the exploitation of their fellow men.
#
@linearb, of course why should the volume/nature of the noise have any impact on the amount of distress the patient experiences, right?
According to some patients *without gray-matter loss* cutting off their finger or leg is virtually the same thing: little to no distress. Really?
Gray-matter, white-matter, black-matter, no-matter, speculative brain imaging, blah, blah, blah. You only subscribe to this view cos you have it **mild** just like your friend that isn't bothered with his T at all.
Last time I checked there's is huge difference between whispering and shouting or the sound of music and an air hammer. Anyhow, the next time someone is hollering next to your ear and you feel distressed about it you probably just lack some gray-matter in the head. No need to worry. It's definitely not the volume/nature of the sound that makes you wince in pain. No way!
Now you can go ahead and point out that we must differentiate between T which is in the head/brain and shouting into someone's ear which has the potential to injure the cochlea. Splendid! and so is **pain**. By that definition everything is just in the head/brain. Conclusion, go eat more gray-matter.

 

[linearb]

If simply denying empirically based reality were enough to change it, then the internet would have made the earth flat and the moon landings fake long ago.

 

[Telis]

@linearb, of course why should the volume/nature of the noise have any impact on the amount of distress the patient experiences, right?

I give up on this argument with some people. It's been proven here a thousand times over that volume matters, half this forum seems to have had mild T and coped just fine with it for years and then ended up here when they found themselves with a worsening. If that's not proof enough that volume matters, I really don't know what is.

@Danny Boy had bad T (he nearly killed himself), he now has minor T and is loving life.

People also have good and bad days it seems-low and loud days...it matters, it's only common sense.

I think that some people here have a real fear of their minor T getting bad and just don't want to hear the truth. They would rather think that if their T does gets bad, it won't matter, this is a comforting thought for them. That's fair enough I guess. People believe what they want to believe.

I think that the severity of ANY condition matters, and yes, so does the ability to cope. There are two factors here, it's doesn't take a genius to understand this.