Are Emotions Really Involved?

I've read a few things about hyperacussion being caused by an emotional response such as fear of sounds and stress etc etc. in my case I feel there's no involvement whatsoever. I have left sided tinnitus only and left sided hyperacussion. The hyperacussion is not always there as it seems to be for others. It may be there for a few hours or for a day in the space of one month. While I have it, loud noises make me cringe and make me very irritated. But if this was caused by an emotion such as fear then would you not have this problem in both ears! I have resorted to cotton wool in my left ear to dampen the sounds otherwise I get very grumpy! But it seems to me there is a physical organic problem within the ear or nerves connecting the brain causing the problem and obviously an emotional response to that problem rather than the other way around.

 

Yea that is how it started for me, physical. I had it off and on for years, would last a day or two and go away. .Then when my pain/ head/ neck issues really got worse after an accident is when it became constant. Neuro says PCS and now atypical chronic migraine. Who knows, but it wasn't before I read about my symptoms online and a really terrifying story that I had any emotions attached to it (fear) as I simply assumed it would go away like it always has!

I can say now that of course I have anxiety with it, as it's a absolutely horrid condition to have 24/7.

However, yes some can have it in only one ear, I know a couple folks like that.

I think for you its migraine related or nerve irritation.

 

I have it 80 percent in my left ear, nothing to do with my emotions. My left ear drum moves/spasms at any sound and is in pain 24/7. My right gets bad at times but not like my left. The only answer I have ever received from doctors or any expert is that I'm anxious, they have no clue. I'm not anxious, I'm in pain. It gets pretty tiring being told that you are anxious and to work on your reaction, this gets me more anxious than anything.

I have been to the best T and H experts in my city, the best they have for me is that I need to work on my reaction. I give up, I will never see another doctor unless I'm dying and someone calls an ambulance.

 

I think you're misinterpreting what "emotions" means.

The theory is that H is tied to the limbic system, which is a set of structure in the brain that supports numerous functions, including behavior, motivation, memory, and yes, emotion.

So, the theory is that what you hear through your ear is filtered through your limbic system (brain), and then the result of that filtration is delivered to you, or, in other words, the filtered result is what you experience.

So, in normal people, the sound is filtered, it's treated just like all other sounds, and you experience a normal result.

In people with H, the sound gets treated differently. It comes in, your brain for some reason interprets it as hostile/loud/whatever and you experience a different perceived sound that a normal person would. The sound IS normal, but your perception of it is not.

It appears to have something to do with our evolution. It makes sense that our brain is wired to treat sounds differently and that this may have helped with our survivial as a species. Example: a marine vet may hear gunfire and have an anxiety reaction. He is not choosing this and his subjective emotions are not involved, but the limbic system has labeled that sound "dangerous" or whatever else you want to call it.

It's the same deal with H, except that processing system has gotten fucked up, whether through acoustic trauma, or because structures in the neck/ear/head are messed up, crosstalk from nerves (I believe in my case), or whatever else.

So yes, your "emotional system" is most likely involved (I've never heard a better explanation that the one above, but I'm always up to learn), but your subjective "emotions" likely aren't.

 

I should mention that I also disagree that if it was a brain issue it would have to be in both ears. Our bodies are pretty complex and I'm fairly certain that the brain's process for filtering these sounds can be ear specific, and therefore only one ear can be effected. I do know that controlling my environment (calming my limbic response, in my opinion) has resulted in an 80% decrease in my hyperacusis. This does not mean that would work for everyone, but it makes sense that it should at least hypothetically work.

 

Excellent work Mike34. Describes it to a tee. Our physical and emotional beings are all part of the one system.

 

Yes, that's it in a nutshell.

It's also why the only way you can really "treat" T and H is to calm the limbic system. People often misinterpret this advice into meaning that their "anxiety" or emotions are causing the issue, but that's not correct. They say it's a "physical" issue and can't be helped, when in reality (in theory) it can.

 

Ah, the good old youtube Will it Blend vids.

Claims that H was emotional and could be cured by ''socialising'' at Maggie's Farm, with the consequence that H was labelled as anxiety unless you'd managed to successfully sue your call center job overlords for giving it to you, came hand in hand with claims that T was also cured by socialising.

Obviously T will be drowned out by socialising, but H is a whole other story. The issue with me and my severe H, lower 40s H, is always the moment sound changes in db. And the gold standard is always seeing how much of a book you can read, which while ''socialising'' is exhausting and not much. I may look like I'm moving and getting some sun on my ass, but in those cases I'm fading away. The only place I can ''read a book'' is at night and without cars or birds.

CBT and Jastreboff aren't aware of how absurd it is to fight H with ''relaxation'' or progressive Jakobsen or yoga when people with ALS have vibrating ear drums, or when anti convulsants designed for epilepsy are rumored to improve it (which knowing the pharma industry probably means secondary effects). But the case for the neurophysiological cause is still one to consider, just not bundled up with the inevitable fake-ass success it was dragged into by the hoards of Aunt Edna's with their tinnitus, ecstatic at being given a sound ball that lets them sleep at night.

 

I don't know what you're really sayin man, but I think I kinda like it..lol