Who Else Got Discouraged and Didn't Seek Treatment?

[Carter Erickson]

So I'm told that I'm not unique in my handling of tinnitus. I heard that there was no curing it, just things I could do to provide a little relief so I got depressed and didn't go further from there. I'm trying to be more proactive now that I'm over the depression of the diagnosis (well, no I'm not, but ya know...).

Anybody else here also felt to discouraged to do much at first?

How'd you keep going from there?

 

[JohnAdams]

lol what treatment?

 

[InfiniteLoop]

@Carter Erickson

Tinnitus is different. It never ends, and it is with you 24/7 as a reminder. In many cases, just stays as is, and you have to get better because the tinnitus will not. Passing time and staying positive are few of the "state-of-the-art" treatments available in our advanced civilization. Sound therapy might provide some temporary relief, and perhaps bimodal stimulation will help a few lucky people. Other than that, we will have to wait until science fiction treatments become a reality (regeneration medicine)

 

[Carter Erickson]

Haha @JohnAdams I have enough of that in my own head brother I don't need you saying it too lol.

@InfiniteLoop I get what you're saying. I'm just now taking a run at what limited options we have to alleviate it or tone it down. It does suck that there isn't a cure in sight and we have to just make do for now.

Still, I'm trying to stay positive. I feel like the 3 month pity party I had for myself was enough. I'm just hoping it gets to a point where I don't have to tell myself to be positive today, but can just be so naturally ya know?

 

[all to gain]

So I'm told that I'm not unique in my handling of tinnitus. I heard that there was no curing it, just things I could do to provide a little relief so I got depressed and didn't go further from there. I'm trying to be more proactive now that I'm over the depression of the diagnosis (well, no I'm not, but ya know...).

Anybody else here also felt to discouraged to do much at first?

How'd you keep going from there?

I'm 100% discouraged. I'm not positive in the slightest. Every day is an ordeal for me. To me the options really suck, as I have always found it hard to truly relax (except for daydreaming in silence on my bed), but now it is nigh impossible. And it seems that relaxation therapies are the main thing, except for maybe TRT, which I would need to wait ages for anyway. And all this talk of Lenire and what have you just seems to be pulling at straws (all I hope it isn't).

My tinnitus was more than likely caused by drugs, but it will more than likely be drugs or stem cell research or the like that will find a cure.

 

[Carter Erickson]

@all to gain I know where you're coming from. I think that's where I was at 4 months ago. Everything sounded like a pipe dream to me too. But still, I think I've turned a corner to where I'm ready to try things even if they fail instead of failing to try something that might help. I read a bunch of stuff that talks about how it gets worse if you do nothing:
https://www.hear-it.org/Tinnitus-Psychological-and-social-consequences
https://www.modernhearingsolutions.com/what-happens-if-tinnitus-goes-untreated/
https://www.comprehensiveearandhearing.com/blog/tinnitus-part-2-consequences-treatment/

Which I think has scared me straight. It sucks now, I don't want it to suck worse down the road.

Don't get me wrong, this is 100% "fake it till you make it" that I'm trying. Every day starts with reminding myself that I need to be positive. I don't actually feel it from within yet. But, hopefully the people out there who are doing research can get us more relief and one day maybe something like stem cells or whatever will finally be the breakthrough that takes it away.

 

[all to gain]

@all to gain I know where you're coming from. I think that's where I was at 4 months ago. Everything sounded like a pipe dream to me too. But still, I think I've turned a corner to where I'm ready to try things even if they fail instead of failing to try something that might help. I read a bunch of stuff that talks about how it gets worse if you do nothing:
https://www.hear-it.org/Tinnitus-Psychological-and-social-consequences
https://www.modernhearingsolutions.com/what-happens-if-tinnitus-goes-untreated/
https://www.comprehensiveearandhearing.com/blog/tinnitus-part-2-consequences-treatment/

Which I think has scared me straight. It sucks now, I don't want it to suck worse down the road.

Don't get me wrong, this is 100% "fake it till you make it" that I'm trying. Every day starts with reminding myself that I need to be positive. I don't actually feel it from within yet. But, hopefully the people out there who are doing research can get us more relief and one day maybe something like stem cells or whatever will finally be the breakthrough that takes it away.

It has scared me too, but I have become more depressed. Depressed that I can't go back 4 months to how things were.
And i'm angry; angry with my dr that he upped my medication too quickly and didn't tell me about side effects even though I asked him three times.

 

[InfiniteLoop]

@Carter Erickson

One of the mistakes I made approaching tinnitus is that I thought that trying all the possible methods I will find something that will work. You know, this method worked for someone else, or it looks like this method has a faint scientific foundation and it might work. You can look at the Tinnitus Talk sections of alternative treatments... There are thousands and thousands of messages leading nowhere. If I can start over my miserable T trip, I will avoid spending much time, money or resources trying to fix what it has been changed in a very likely irreversible way. Spend your energy mostly on making the best out what you still have.

 

[all to gain]

@Carter Erickson
Spend your energy mostly on making the best out what you still have.

How do you do that? I'm finding it impossible.

 

[InfiniteLoop]

How do you do that? I'm finding it impossible.

Yes, it is impossible..... but you get up every day and try again....

I do not consider myself a tinnitus battle winner at all. The only advice that I can give you is that all the recovery buzzwords: acceptance, ignoring the noise, noise is in the background, noise has no meaning anymore, etc....... do only make sense when they really resonate and are internalize in your brain. For years I had intellectual acknowledgment about accepting tinnitus, but inside of me, I was still fighting it. As a consequence, I could never move on and heal. You have to find your own way to deal with the challenge... The well intentioned advice in these forums is just a very rough guideline, and mostly just words with little meaning.

Today I went to play soccer, I do that every Saturday morning independently of my ear weather. It keeps me going even if it is just a simple activity. I scored 4 goals and the teammates congratulated me that two of the goals were beautiful. Now, I am sitting at a cafe having a nice macchiato while I write a message to someone I have never met. My tinnitus is screaming solid 7/10. Life is still here, a few cells in my auditory system are dead, but I am still 99% healthy. I can not let the lost 1% destroy the rest, even if they have been very close to achieve it.

 

[Extreme]

I hate this concept of "no cure". Surely it's just something we have not discovered yet? There are probably many different causes of tinnitus. They just have to figure it out. From the stuff you guys discuss on this forum alone... it is extremely complex. Studies are a great sign. We need more.

It's no different from tons of other conditions still waiting for an answer. It's just one of those that are extremely difficult to live with. Unfortunately.

I don't believe in "no cure". I also don't think we must accept this. Obviously something happened to us. And it needs to be fixed or improved.