A Success Story for the New TInnitus Sufferers by Someone 5 Weeks In

Hello guys,

I was meaning to write this success story a week ago. Better late then never?

My T is noise-induced, and started on Dec 2nd from a loud concert. (5 weeks now!)
The day after I felt a little muffled on my left ear, and could hear the ringing still clearly. I got anxious like anyone else here have felt, and everyone (including the doctors) that I'd just wait it out and it'd go away by itself. A week went by and I realized that it won't probably go away, I had felt anxious during that week by I still had a lot of hope since it was still early.
Between the first and second week were the worst, I was in despair and I couldn't function. I was constantly on the edge and I couldn't even sleep. Suddenly everything felt horrible, I didn't wanna spend a minute alone because I'd just hear the ringing and it'd drive me crazy. Chirstmas came and I had 2,5 weeks off from work, which I had looked forward to but felt like a nightmare now.

I can't say really what made me feel better, maybe because my boyfriend came over after work for a week straight and always made sure we were doing something. If it wasn't going out toeat or watching a good tv-series everynight, it'd be the distraction that he made overall. I know a lot of you feel like hiding away and just wanting to be alone but please, do understand the importance of having someone around you. You don't think too much when you have company. My boyfriend also has T, but he cannot understand my anxiety completely since he haubituated right away, and he rarely ask me about my T since he tries to draw my attention away from it. It is also somehow an inspiration, in the way that I can see how little it impacts his life, he has been traveling and going to movies/concert (always wear plugs!) and enjoy music like he always has. I wish he could be a little more careful around loud noises but that is really up to him. So having T doesn't mean that your life is over. I know how it feels to be on the bottom, I never thought I'd be better. But 2 weeks in and I started to haubituate to the noise, I could still hear it and it didn't decrease in loudness but I wasn't bother by it anymore.

Unfortuently, I was exposed to fire alarms at several different occasion and suddenly the anxiety came back since I was scared that the noise would have impacted my T and caused it to be worse. There is a spike that has lasted almost a week now, but I have dealt with spike and the unwanted exposure in a much better way than before. Yes, you WILL be exposed to nosie that you cannot control more than probably once in your life and that is how it is. You cannot go around and protect yourself against everything, and this is why a lot of people here say that your attitude towards T is a very big deal in how you feel. If you can stop thinking about why it happened to you, if it will ever go away, if this or that could cause it to be worse etc, then you're on the right way. I know it is hard in the first month and I have had a set-back as well, but I know I have haubituated once, so I know it is possible. It will be for you too. But not stress it. It will come. The more you get irriated that you still aren't better, the longer it takes.

Go out, meet family and friends, do stuff you normally would have (watch out for cinemas and conerts/bar for a while of course) and keep doing what you love. T might be a b*tch and be bothersome, but alot of the members here already have haubituated so there is no logical reason why you cannot. I know it is hard to believe but it will. That much I can promise you.

Take care,

Love,
F

 

Distraction in the beginning is VERY important as you said. For me it was watching the Sopranos with my wife, maybe 3-4 episodes per evening, sometimes even more.

 

Ahh, my kinda people.

 

I had it with a bout of severe vertigo caused by a virus. Made worse after flying. It really didn't help having T on top of it. I am finally getting out of the vertigo slowly, but man my confidence is shaken up big time. I keep thinking I was 100% fine in October. What happened to me! Is it true that it never goes away for people? I have heard once you have it you have it for life!

 

@Fangen Thank you for your story I can relate to everthing you said. My T happened Oct 18, 2015 and like you a pre planned vac week at thanksgiving and prior to T I looked forward to time off but after T I was terrified as to what I would do for a week. I ended up going out of town to see my mom for thanksgiving and spent it with my mom and siblings and it was wonderful. I'm now going on my 3rd month with T and I have to admit it took me till probably mid December to completely habitate I am fine and happy and the ringing I don't hear unless I listen for it. Ringing is loud enough that I can hear it over the shower but now That I have accepted it I don't lose sleep anymore, no anxiety and I'm living life again. Thanks for your post so many of us share very similiar experiences.
Irene

 

That's awesome to hear, Fangen. I hope things continue to improve for you. It's great that you had people around you to give you support.