Can Tinnitus ACTUALLY Drive You CRAZY?

[Matt9]

I habituated pretty well in the past 4 years. I hear a constant hissing sound in my right ear due to hearing loss.

Now I have a relapse or a spike, I don't know.

But I was wondering, and that's the thing that scares me the most, is it possible to be driven crazy by tinnitus, or is it just my anxiety speaking?

 

[GBB]

People kill themselves over it - if you consider that madness then yes. I don't think people lose their minds as in, they become babbling vegetables, though I'm sure the stress/experience can come close. But strictly speaking will it degrade your brain so that you are UNABLE to speak/think? 99% of cases I would say no. Even the worst cases, people still log on here and form coherent posts.

 

[Ken219]

anxiety speaking?

It is anxiety.

habituated

You have habituated before and you will do it again. I have had many spikes and have always habituated. This is your first spike, I wish I knew why it happens but it just happens. Hang in there, it takes time, which you already know. You will not go crazy, you need to control the anxiety. Do whatever it takes. Medications, meditation. G-d bless.

 

[Matt9]

People kill themselves over it - if you consider that madness then yes. I don't think people lose their minds as in, they become babbling vegetables, though I'm sure the stress/experience can come close. But strictly speaking will it degrade your brain so that you are UNABLE to speak/think? 99% of cases I would say no. Even the worst cases, people still log on here and form coherent posts.

Yeah I wanted to know if people kill themselves because of tinnitus... that's the thing that scares me the most. Not being able to recover and being forced to kill myself one day.

 

[ajc]

Yeah I wanted to know if people kill themselves because of tinnitus... that's the thing that scares me the most. Not being able to recover and being forced to kill myself one day.

Many have killed themselves over tinnitus.

Here's one:

In Loving Memory of Allan1967

 

[GBB]

Yeah I wanted to know if people kill themselves because of tinnitus... that's the thing that scares me the most. Not being able to recover and being forced to kill myself one day.

I mean you can do a lot before you kill yourself. My plan B would be to live in Central/South America in an open air home, as I hear mine outside much less, and just find a way to grind through life. You could also take benzos and try to live long enough to see treatments that way. You could order compounds from Chinese labs that are currently being tested, like the Hough Ear Institute pill, and jump the line on trying it out. The list goes on - I know because I've developed quite an extensive one. The more desperate you are, the more options there are when you focus just on survival. I would exhaust most of these before you approach the big S.

 

[Matt9]

Many have killed themselves over tinnitus.

Here's one:

In Loving Memory of Allan1967

I mean, was it because of tinnitus? I don't get it. Maybe he was depressed.

 

[ajc]

I mean, was it because of tinnitus? I don't get it. Maybe he was depressed.

You can look up @Allan1967's posts. He committed suicide because his tinnitus was so bad.

 

[Matt9]

That's terrifying. That's exactly my biggest fear.

 

[Christiaan]

Nobody here?

Well, define crazy. Do you mean doing irresponsible things like going buck naked
to the town centre on a warm summer night? Tinnitus does a lot of things to people, but that one example does not seem all to likely for most of us.

If you mean that it makes people more susceptible for medical illness like depression & phobias, then count me in. I am on anti-depression meds to counter the effects of severe tinnitus. I have also developed PTSD-ish reactions to loud sounds. E.g. If I hear an ambulance from 3 miles away, then I would run into the first shop that I could find. But then again, I don't think I'm as tough as most people here when dealing with severe tinnitus.

 

[Matt9]

Well, define crazy. Do you mean doing irresponsible things like going buck naked
to the town centre on a warm summer night? Tinnitus does a lot of things to people, but that one example does not seem all to likely for most of us.

If you mean that it makes people more susceptible for medical illness like depression & phobias, then count me in. I am on anti-depression meds to counter the effects of severe tinnitus. I have also developed PTSD-ish reactions to loud sounds. E.g. If I hear an ambulance from 3 miles away, then I would run into the first shop that I could find. But then again, I don't think I'm as tough as most people here when dealing with severe tinnitus.

My fear is that it will ruin my life forever and I will be miserable enough to kill myself.

 

[weab00]

My fear is that it will ruin my life forever and I will be miserable enough to kill myself.

Regenerative medicine will save us bud. Most of us severe cases will be rotting on this god-forsaken forum till then. Live your life and protect from loud noises; carry 33 dB earplugs everywhere you go, as people tend to not give a fuck about noise in this modern world.

 

[Michael Leigh]

I mean, was it because of tinnitus? I don't get it. Maybe he was depressed.

HI @Matt9

Tinnitus is intrinsically linked to our mental and emotionally wellbeing and cannot be separated from them. If a person also has hyperacusis it can cause more stress. Sadly, some people do commit suicide due the distress that it can cause. No two people will experience this condition the same but make no mistake, it can be seriously debilitating when severe and can put a person into deep depression. I corresponded with Allan on the forum, by private messenger and had three telephone conversations with him.

Michael

 

[Ctw]

It is anxiety.

You have habituated before and you will do it again. I have had many spikes and have always habituated. This is your first spike, I wish I knew why it happens but it just happens. Hang in there, it takes time, which you already know. You will not go crazy, you need to control the anxiety. Do whatever it takes. Medications, meditation. G-d bless.

How bad is your tinnitus?

 

[Michael Leigh]

How bad is your tinnitus?

The tinnitus noise doesn't necessarily have to be loud to cause distress, for it is the way it affects a person's mental and emotional wellbeing. Some people can have relatively mild or moderate tinnitus but are still very distressed by it.

Michael

 

[Ken219]

How bad is your tinnitus?

I hear it all the time for 30 years. When I habituate I hear it in a quasi way. Yes it is there but not bothersome.

 

[DebInAustralia]

It is anxiety.

You have habituated before and you will do it again. I have had many spikes and have always habituated. This is your first spike, I wish I knew why it happens but it just happens. Hang in there, it takes time, which you already know. You will not go crazy, you need to control the anxiety. Do whatever it takes. Medications, meditation. G-d bless.

Can you elaborate a little more on how you have habituated?

I'm in the same boat.

Thanks.

 

[Ken219]

Can you elaborate a little more on how you have habituated?

I'm in the same boat.

Thanks.

One day it feels like I can live with tinnitus. Then many more days are like that. I wish I could explain it but there is no on/off switch, it just happens. FYI it takes me 12-18 months to habituate.

 

[Christiaan]

My fear is that it will ruin my life forever and I will be miserable enough to kill myself.

Like @dan and @Ken219 said, give it some time. There may be a chance that you'll get used to it.

For people like me, I feel like habitation is not really the real deal. It's one thing in coming to terms with this disorder, but it is another thing in getting used to something that is pretty much extreme. I've dealt with mild tinnitus (just one tone) before and it was not really a nuisance for me. But living with 3 prominent sounds (an electric drill, white noise and a motor engine) is a whole different ball game. After a month or 7, I'm still not used to it. It really is that bad. So one reason why I'm still around, is that FX-322 and OTO-314 is around the corner. Who knows, it might help us someday. We just have to wait a little while @Matt9.

 

[Matt9]

Like @dan and @Ken219 said, give it some time. There may be a chance that you'll get used to it.

For people like me, I feel like habitation is not really the real deal. It's one thing in coming to terms with this disorder, but it is another thing in getting used to something that is pretty much extreme. I've dealt with mild tinnitus (just one tone) before and it was not really a nuisance for me. But living with 3 prominent sounds (an electric drill, white noise and a motor engine) is a whole different ball game. After a month or 7, I'm still not used to it. It really is that bad. So one reason why I'm still around, is that FX-322 and OTO-314 is around the corner. Who knows, it might help us someday. We just have to wait a little while @Matt9.

I have a hissing sound, and I managed it well until last week. Now I am in panic and I feel it is louder BUT I don't know if it's just my anxiety that makes me perceive it louder or what.

 

[Elmer B Fuddled]

Suicide is the cheap way out, sad anyone thinks that suicide cures it all. It doesn't but it does cause families to suffer. Speaking from experience to the loss of a son.

 

[Bartoli]

One day it feels like I can live with tinnitus. Then many more days are like that. I wish I could explain it but there is no on/off switch, it just happens. FYI it takes me 12-18 months to habituate.

So if I understand correctly, your tinnitus regularly goes up a notch requiring you to reaccustom yourself to the noise? How loud is yours if you don't mind me asking? What does it sound like?

 

[Ken219]

@Bartoli From the first day it was loud. I never measured the loudness. I hear it all the time. When I relapse, does it get louder? Maybe, but it disrupts my life. Like I said I wait it out 12-18 months then I feel okay with the sound. I'm in my early 70s, it has been a long hard road. I am still here. In a current spike. Yes I am tired. Praying for better treatments or cure. G-d bless. Ken

 

[Bill Bauer]

Now I have a relapse or a spike

What was the cause?

People kill themselves over it

Perhaps their mental health/outlook on life has already been predisposing them to suicide and tinnitus had simply been the last straw that "broke the camel's back"...

 

[GBB]

What was the cause?

Perhaps their mental health/outlook on life has already been predisposing them to suicide and tinnitus had simply been the last straw that "broke the camel's back"...

Yes, not suggesting anyone should take their life, particularly now with new technologies which seem poised to provide benefit.

 

[dan]

Tinnitus is totally reversible, they just haven't figured it out how yet... there's not much resources going into real tinnitus research... really, who do you know right now is trying to cure tinnitus? Only Prof. Thanos Tzounopoulos comes to mind, and that too was partially due to Team Trobalt on Tinnitus Talk and all the sufferers who were guinea pigs on here.

Like someone on here said before, in 50-100 years they will read in medical history books and be like wow how did people live with such a thing that is so easy to cure yet suffered so bad it drove many to suicide... etc.

 

[Sevv]

In the case you absolutely cannot cope even after 2-3 years of trying to habituate you can still try to opt for deep brain stimulation, which does seemingly work for most patients. The thing is that it is not yet an approved treatment for tinnitus so you have to pay yourself ($50,000-100,000 dollars) or get access to a study. Though in 2-3 years FX-322 and/or OTO-413 might already be accessible, so you'll go for that first.

 

[funeralcry]

Yes, I believe that tinnitus is basically the same thing as being possessed by an demon. It takes away your ability to have peace and relax. I think being relaxed is needed for an human to function properly. Something like this shouldn't be allowed to exist.

 

[AVIYT]

I mean you can do a lot before you kill yourself. My plan B would be to live in Central/South America in an open air home, as I hear mine outside much less, and just find a way to grind through life. You could also take benzos and try to live long enough to see treatments that way. You could order compounds from Chinese labs that are currently being tested, like the Hough Ear Institute pill, and jump the line on trying it out. The list goes on - I know because I've developed quite an extensive one. The more desperate you are, the more options there are when you focus just on survival. I would exhaust most of these before you approach the big S.

I put off taking MDMA again (only took it a few times prior to tinnitus) before the big S on my list. It would probably dissuade me from it. Psilocybin didn't help my tinnitus much, or Ketamine the depression but time has helped after a long grind. It took a good year for me to stop thinking about death as much. Still have rare thoughts on it, approaching the end of my 2nd year, but the main thing stopping me is this: Tech is improving, I'm young. What happens if in 2030 there's a cure? Or 2040? Or 2050, 2060, 2070? It's... far away, but not THAT far off to warrant giving up just yet. Maybe if I reached 30 years living with tinnitus. It sucks every single day, I tried many things... but there's a lot of the world I still didn't see yet.

 

[Matt9]

Hi there,

I had T for the past 6 years, lived pretty well with it until two weeks ago.

Two months ago I started using earbuds for video conferences, not at crazy high volume tho.

Stopped using it three weeks ago.
Then, Two weeks ago I started hearing an high pitched hissing over my normal static sound, it's very frustrating and distressing. I don't know if this is a spike and if it's due to the earbuds or due to the fall season.

I have to say sometimes it goes slightly down, but I don't know what cause it to fluctuate.
I took Klonopin some days ago, and maybe it calmed my spike down for a day.


But I am afraid this could be a permanent worsening.

Anyone has suggestions?