Would You Say That Having Tinnitus Has Made You a Stronger Person?

[Hil]

I think most of us start out with fear, regarding tinnitus. Someone told me "you must be a very strong and patient person to deal with this." To which I replied that I don't feel strong or patient...I just have to get up every day and get through the day despite what I don't like. There's not much choice.

But it got me thinking, maybe the very act of getting up every day and getting through the day the best I can is building strength in me.

Lots of fear is still looming with me, so I'm curious...would any of you feel that having tinnitus made you feel like a stronger person? Have any of you reached a point where you could sort of look tinnitus in the face, so to speak, and not not feel so afraid of it? Especially when unknowns still lurked? (Like not knowing if it'll go away, not knowing if it will get worse...)

 

[Andunwoody]

Yes. I always thought I was a bit defeatist ...... turns out I'm not. The all day every day T has been hard to come to terms with but twice in the last year I've also had two episodes of Menieres symptoms, each lasting around 8 weeks. The unpredictable vertigo, dizziness, hearing loss and thundering T was really debilitating. Once the symptoms went my confidence was at rock bottom and I was pretty much scared to leave the house. Two months later and I go out and about on my own, visit noisy restaurants and coffee bars and have just return from 10 days in the U.S. with my lovely husband. In three weeks we go to Spain for some sun and relaxation, T will be hitching a ride with me but hey ho that's life. In January I was pretty much despairing but life goes on

 

[Telis]

No it's weakened me after almost 3 years of T and H plus other ear/brain issues. I was once a very strong proud successful person that despite heavy adversity still ended up at the top. I no longer know that person, hes dead and gone. I'm tired and weak from this battle, left with very little in the tank. But true, life goes on, you fight with whatever you have left.

 

[Nana99]

Some days stronger, other times not so much. Much like the anxiety that sometimes comes with it I face it and say bring it on! Give me your worst and I will still be standing when you're done with me!! Knowing there r millions of us living with t somehow helps....stay strong.

 

[Poyraz]

No. It made me weakest.

 

[Mario martz]

Well 3 months ago i was in a bad place (before tinnitus) a lot of anxiety, would ask for help all the time, i felt like a little boy reaching for help and approval.
right now, i dont need nobody to tell me things are gonna be alright, i try to make things better for me, no more anxiety i learnt i dont have control over things, i dont ask for help anymore...my dad, the doctors and my shrink are no longer an authority figure to me, i am my own saviour.
so i guess yes, this has made me stronger, if i ever get back to normal life (t-free world) i know ill be an unstoppable force

 

[volsung37]

T has made me a more compassionate person. I know that every single person on this earth is struggling with something whether they bring it on themselves or have it shoved on them.

 

[Fangen]

It has made me feel like a very weak and vunerable person many times, and also made me feel that I can still fight through it with all my might. I just had to remind me of all the good things that I have in life, not to let T outshine the goodness in life. Harder sometimes, easy other times. But I feel more humble towards life, now that I know how vunerable we are.

 

[undecided]

I would say it has made me realize how fragile a human person can be.
I used to think I was bulletproof, now I realize I am anything but.
I also used to think that psych meds are for weak, naive people. Now I know otherwise.
So yeah, weaker it is.

 

[KyushuKris]

Yes it converted my personality entirely.
I used to be a chirpy, the fun guy always cracking jokes. Now I rarely smile and feel moody most days. But on the positive side it has made me far more tenacious in very aspect of my life, and the feeling I have that time is running out pushes me to excel at everything I do.
It's been good for reducing nerves and fear around people, also. Since I don't really care about myself anymore, I don't find other people intimidate me much.
So, def physically and mentally stronger, but I think if my wife died I'd jump off a bridge the next day. No point in living with this bs without her to give me purpose.

 

[Cheza]

No. It has drained me of energy. Whatever I get done, I don't do it because of tinnitus, I do it in spite of tinnitus. I went from being a high productivity person to someone who functions at a very low level, and it's been this way for over 2 years now.

Edit to add: I'm not afraid of tinnitus. I just despise it.

 

[Engineer]

Sure it's made me stronger in the sense of someone who has suffered tragedy and then overcome. It's not a strength I sought. I would compare it to the relative strength of recovery someone feels after the death of a loved one. I lost my father 10 yrs ago and yes the human condition recovers eventually. My T recovery has been similar.

 

[TtotheInnitusBoy]

For me it has made me have no fear and made me waaaaay less serious about things (in a good way. I no longer feel the need to compare my life with my peers etc). I am only 26 and have developed this. In terms of a soccer match, I guess that means I am 4-0 down after 30 minutes? Fooook it, let's just rip up the game plan and play free-style attacking soccer now and just make the most out of a bad situation.There is really nothing else to lose (not even dignity). Who cares if we now lose 8,9 or even 10-0 before the final whistle? We might as well just enjoy ourselves? That is my perspective anyway.

Finally, T is something I will die with, not of. I know some sufferers choose to take their own life (less than 1% of sufferers?) but they strictly still have the privilege of that choice. If I get depressed and limit myself with this, chances are I may one day think If only I was just a little bit stronger a little bit sooner . . . d'oh! Who knows, one day I might look up at the score board are realise we've only bloody done it and won 5-4.

 

[Jkph75]

It has made me realize exactly how weak I truly am. I used to think that I was pretty tough but now I realize that I am weak. This thing has brought me to my knees. I pray every day that it will go away and if not that God will give me the strength to get through another day.

 

[Starthrower]

I get scared coming back into tinnitus support. But sometimes I feel the need to let my "old timer" experience out.
Not that I am old. But I think there is a large group of "old timers" who have moved on. Maybe a separate forum instead of the doctor's corner would be a good place for those of us - to provide - personal experience beyond success stories?

I hesitate to write mine which started in 2002 to today. It is sad and scary for new people. And often that negative part has way more weight than the outcome. I am a stronger person in many ways.

The problem is writing about negative things. More than negative. Life and death. I found in the past when I brought this up people would turn away or become frightened that would happen to them. And then the "professionals" would discredit my experiences with actual people. So I just went silent.

Strength comes every single time you overcome a bad day. The one process to get over is that fear that a bad day will happen again. So that negative weighs more than the one positive experience.

JKph75 you are not weak. You have made it this far after three years. It took me at least three years before I was able to find life again. Set a goal for each day. Small one or big one. For me that first goal was to walk through a parking lot into a store and not fear those damn alarms when people would use their key fobs to open doors. I still remember feeling like I was under a glass dome and everything and everyone existed outside of it. I was not a part of real life.
As I walked through the parking lot I was shaking - weak in mind - but I did it. And it started a process for me.

Do not let this take away your self esteem or confidence. Fight to retain those qualities. It is possible.

 

[Zora]

I hope and believe that one day in the future I will look back and say: wow, T made me a better and stronger person!" Whatit did to me (apart from all the negative stuff) was to show me that the little things I used to worry about, they dont stress me out anymore. Because I have a better overview of whats important and whats not..

 

[Telis]

JKph75 you are not weak. You have made it this far after three years. It took me at least three years before I was able to find life again. Set a goal for each day. Small one or big one. For me that first goal was to walk through a parking lot into a store and not fear those damn alarms when people would use their key fobs to open doors. I still remember feeling like I was under a glass dome and everything and everyone existed outside of it. I was not a part of real life.
As I walked through the parking lot I was shaking - weak in mind - but I did it. And it started a process for me.

And then what happened? Your H went away? Fear is one thing but what about your ears?

 

[Christian78]

Me personaly after 3 years LOVE is only thing that keeps me alive. Love to one person that makes me keep it at bay together with depresion.

I done few EEG and loreta EEG that shows my tinnitus is now in emotions centre and it couses stress and from there it send impulses to ear. That is how I got explanation reason for my worsening of tinnitus, after every stronger stress my t went up, now it is 19 time since start. Hope in any medicine or drug that could help me is fulish. I dont hope i rather know it will just be worse and no medicine will come in next 10 years or at lease as long as I continue existing.

I love. I live for every drop of love. I suffer but i want to love until last breat I wanna love, uncoditional love. I am criple I know it, I cant even watch tv sho any more without my t going worse, or eat, no going out close to cars.

BUT I WISH YOU ALL TO WAKE UP WITHOUT TINNITUS!


PS: After every worsening i "habituate" but it get worse again and restart process, and it is harder and harder

 

[Gosia]

No. It took away around 3/4 of joy of life and made me feel even more miserable than I already had been because of other health issues . I don't believe this crappy sentence '' whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger''. Or T just killed me in a way.

 

[Beste]

It knocked my down. I have always been weakest since I developed GAD but this thing is something can put every human being on his/her knees. I feel so sorry for myself.

 

[Jkph75]

I get scared coming back into tinnitus support. But sometimes I feel the need to let my "old timer" experience out.
Not that I am old. But I think there is a large group of "old timers" who have moved on. Maybe a separate forum instead of the doctor's corner would be a good place for those of us - to provide - personal experience beyond success stories?

I hesitate to write mine which started in 2002 to today. It is sad and scary for new people. And often that negative part has way more weight than the outcome. I am a stronger person in many ways.

The problem is writing about negative things. More than negative. Life and death. I found in the past when I brought this up people would turn away or become frightened that would happen to them. And then the "professionals" would discredit my experiences with actual people. So I just went silent.

Strength comes every single time you overcome a bad day. The one process to get over is that fear that a bad day will happen again. So that negative weighs more than the one positive experience.

JKph75 you are not weak. You have made it this far after three years. It took me at least three years before I was able to find life again. Set a goal for each day. Small one or big one. For me that first goal was to walk through a parking lot into a store and not fear those damn alarms when people would use their key fobs to open doors. I still remember feeling like I was under a glass dome and everything and everyone existed outside of it. I was not a part of real life.
As I walked through the parking lot I was shaking - weak in mind - but I did it. And it started a process for me.

Do not let this take away your self esteem or confidence. Fight to retain those qualities. It is possible.

Well, I can't say that it has been 3 years. It's only been 3 months but I think I am slowly getting a tiny bit better though the T is not.

@Christian78
Where did you get those tests? If I knew that my T was in my brain I could probably get rid of it. I am so afraid that my ear is damaged that it is making it worse.

 

[TtotheInnitusBoy]

Secondally, tinnitus has indeed made me a stronger person. It has made me realise that external rejection is sometimes only achieved through inner acceptance. #Habituation #MindOverMatter.

 

[Foncky]

I usually like to say it made me stronger, but it's not really the case. I've just learned to spot what's important in my life.

 

[Christian78]

Well, I can't say that it has been 3 years. It's only been 3 months but I think I am slowly getting a tiny bit better though the T is not.

@Christian78
Where did you get those tests? If I knew that my T was in my brain I could probably get rid of it. I am so afraid that my ear is damaged that it is making it worse.

One at Switcerlands clinic at prof. Jeanmonod 2500€ complete check up, other one in Belgian clinic 200€ bra2n.com.
Both show overactive areas and they say what kind of T you have. But for stress releted in frontal cortex I relly think there is no much help as t couses stress and stress worsens t, and then it is chain reaction.

1st show red overactive, blue underactive areas
2nd show in lines from where impulses are sent in brain and what they are activating
3rd from Switcerland
4th is comment of prof dr Jeanmonod from Switcerland

ALL in ALL is SAD, and worse of it is there is no help for releving tinnitus

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@Telis is your scan simmilar like this?

 

[Jkph75]

@Christian78

The doctor made remarks about 2 recommendations for treatment. What were they? I live in the US, so going to those centers isn't feasible. I wish I knew where to go in the US for a thorough evaluation.