Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

It’s great, a couple of weeks ago I let my ears get the better of me, went to an hour's session, been good since & the tinnitus is not better, I just let it be... amazing how the brain works & a bit of guided thinking changes chaos to clarity... I’ve been a stress head for years, even without tinnitus.... wish I started CBT 20 years ago.

 

Are there any more experiences with CBT, positive or negative?

 

I tried CBT a couple of months. But I'm not good at expressing anguish and the therapist said I was fine.

Tinnitus is a very difficult symptom to explain. One day she told me that I used plugs to escape from reality. I told her the sound was in my head...but I think she did not understand.

The only interesting thing she said me was that there was a "suicide component" in my decision to go to the concert (mine is a resurgence).

She was really nice anyway. The relationship became maybe too "close" and she sent me messages about other issues via Whats App.

 

I'm seeing a counselor right now who said she is willing to help with anxiety related to tinnitus, however she doesn't know anything about tinnitus. She does CBT insomnia and has experience with CBT. It has helped me a bit to talk for an hour and to talk through some issues. I do feel positive when I leave the session. Anything in particular/topics that come to mind in how she can help me?

 

Was that a CBT session? If yes, what did it involve?

CBT is pretty specific in how it works. She should know where to start from with you.

 

Mostly it was me talking, and her asking follow-up questions For example, if I say I'm worried about my future, she might ask why, which would cause me to reflect (bad example, I know). There are a couple of therapists who specialize in CBT tinnitus but they do not accept insurance and are expensive.

 

For your next visit, print some of the newest research studies and give it to her. Ask her to inform herself about tinnitus if she wants to help you. Tell her to come and read the Tinnitus Talk forum... (or read it together while you are there!)

I did this with my second CBT therapists... he had no experience with a tinnitus patient, but was willing to learn more about it in order to help me... It helped both of us. Our first sessions were not helping me and we were not "connecting"... but after he informed himself more about tinnitus things started to change and the sessions began to "fall in place"... help.

I chose this particular place and therapist because he was close to my home. I didn't want to travel far to get CBT.

 

OK, perhaps that is useful therapy but it doesn't sound like CBT. More info about CBT here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_behavioral_therapy

 

You don't necessarily need tinnitus specific CBT, just a good therapist. CBT's goal of learning to identify negative thought patterns and address them with coping strategies and skills works for tinnitus, OCD, pain, anxiety, depression and a host of other issues.

Depressed, negative and unrealistic thinking can amplify all conditions and make them seem unbearable at times. A good CBT practitioner helps you to identify these negative thought patterns and learn to challenge and rationale unhealthy thoughts about your condition (ie. tinnitus).

CBT is one of the things which really benefited me and it wasn't tinnitus specific. It helped me cope with my extreme anxiety, fears and panic attacks which were the underlying result of my tinnitus and taught me challenge and rationalize my negative thinking. My therapist was awesome and most likely saved me from a life of despair and doom.

 

I couldn’t agree more! For me it was a tinnitus clinician/audiologist who uses CBT in her sessions to help her clients. I am still trying to get better at implementing the stuff we talked about, but she helped me greatly! A lot of CBT can even be transferable to many different parts of your life as well (ie work, relationships etc...)

 

I find it sad that so many people on this forum feel like CBT/Therapy is a curse word. Instead seeking help, they suffer with their suicidal thoughts, anxiety and depression.

And usually the answer is "therapy cannot make my tinnitus go away"

That is stubborn way of thinking.

I have not gone to therapy because of my tinnitus, but I've been in therapy because of other issues. It really helped me, and whenever I feel I cannot handle my tinnitus alone, I will go back.

This is not easy to handle. I have some good days and then I become depressed and fall back. I don't think I would handle this so well if I hadn't learned some coping skills when I went to therapy.

 

Agreed and great post! There is nothing that can make tinnitus go away or none of us would have it. However, there are things we can do to help cope with tinnitus. Most conditions do not have cures, just treatments. Tinnitus has neither, yet. Until that time, we have to do what is best for ourselves. I found CBT to be immensely helpful which probably saved my life.

 

I think that it is worth mentioning that if CBT therapy with a professional is financially out of reach, there are books available which outline methods for readers to use on their own, as well as videos online. Most public libraries have CBT books.

 

What severity is your tinnitus? That is excluded and lost in all this. Do you have any other ear problems besides tinnitus? Ear pain, h or other symptoms that impact your life?

Probably not. The pattern is that it's easier to cope with mild tinnitus or if you are already signs of tinnitus improvement.

It's a fine line between saying CBT can help you cope when most therapists don't even know what tinnitus is and few can relate or understand if the tinnitus is severe enough. Some people don't even want to leave their homes or have frequent spikes or whatever severe affect they are having.

 

@PeteJ

You just like to ignore what people say. I doubt @erik has had any easy time with tinnitus.

If you feel you cannot handle it mentally, isn't that a reason to seek help with the mental struggle?

 

My tinnitus is usually the loudest thing I hear all day long, everyday. It has been that way for 7 years. I have multiple tones in both ears, ocean noise, high and low and everything in between. I also suffer from epilepsy which I managed strictly with CBD.

There is not much you can do to control tinnitus directly. However, you can choose to do something about the others things tinnitus indirectly affects like stress, anxiety, fear, panic - whatever it may be. That is your choice and your control.

I choose not to be a sit and wait type of person. I don't do it in any other aspect of my life so why would I for tinnitus?

 

It's not discussed because it's irrelevant. CBT isn't going to change your tinnitus's volume. It's not meant to.

CBT will address your irrational thoughts, and that in turn will help you cope better. That will increase your quality of life, in spite of having an unchanged tinnitus.

Your impermeability to any life improvement that doesn't involve a reduction in your tinnitus is throwing you into the pit of despair because there is no effective treatment that lowers tinnitus's volume today. I suggest you reconsider the rigidity of your requirements.

Good luck!

 

The misunderstanding of CBT and DBT is shocking sometimes. A therapist does not need to really understand tinnitus to help someone with CBT or DBT. The process does not change if you have depression, cancer, MS, tinnitus or any other malady.

 

The corollary is that CBT is applicable to other areas of life. I learned CBT before my tinnitus onset, and I've used the exact same "CBT toolbox" to deal with my tinnitus at onset instead of taking AD drugs.

 

You don't know what I go through and you have the audacity to say I am ignoring people?

It does matter about the volume, about pain and other circumstances. If it didn't, EVERYONE WOULD USE CBT. THE CBT THREAD WOULD BE THE LONGEST THREAD HERE BECAUSE EVERYONE WOULD BE LINING UP ASKING FOR INFO BECAUSE IT IS SO GREAT AND HELPS US ALL COPE!!!!

I hope it looks like I am yelling because I am not getting through for some reason.

Please accept my apology. I know it works for people and you are only trying to help me.
I would like something to help but I wish it would improve and heal on it's own. Let me just say I found it difficult to try cbt and I don't understand how people with severe t claim it helps them. I have a hard time believing that.

 

Now that is quite something. Not only has CBT helped you reduce the stress that is caused by tinnitus but it has helped to improve your thinking in additional areas of your life, as well. Bravo.

 

You’re ignoring the cultural context. The fact is that we’ve been force fed CBT as a replacement for a treatment and everytime we talk about how that’s not okay our own sufferers bend over for these shills. Yeah that gets on your nerves after a while.

 

There really aren't any treatments for tinnitus yet, other than psychological ways of coping, for the majority. It's likely going to be years before any actual noise reduction treatments are available. It seems that if somebody is pitching unproven technology, they're considered legitimate, but when those who support proven psychological ways of coping are called shills, or other nasty terms, then it's obvious that there's something fishy going on in Gotham.

I choose not to sit around waiting for a scientific cure. Psychological ways of handling tinnitus have helped me, not only with tinnitus, but have been very beneficial in other aspects of my life, as well.

 

Hi All,

I have been suffering from tinnitus for the last 6 months, I have my good days and bad days but I'm still feeling very anxious and depressed about the whole thing. I read a couple of articles about CBT and its effectiveness.

My question is does a CBT therapist need to be specifically trained no tinnitus to be effective? Or will someone who is qualified as a CBT without any specific tinnitus training still be effective?

 

Someone who is a CBT practitioner without any specific tinnitus training should still be effective. CBT can be applied to various parts of your life, one of which is tinnitus.

 

There will be more training available in the future, for therapists, regarding tinnitus patients. In the meantime, it would be helpful for the therapists who have patients with T, to learn about tinnitus. There is an online video with Dr. Hubbard, regarding CBT for Tinnitus Distress, which is a very good introduction to the subject
.

 

Or the one @threefirefour recently found.

 

I don't know what you're referring to, but I'm very interested in CBT and tinnitus and would like to see it. Do you have any more information about this video you're referring to? Thanks.

 

Of course. It’s a great video.

CBT: The Full Experience

 

CBT helped because I had never been to a therapist myself, didn’t need it until tinnitus showed up, it’s only as good as its therapist. It’s a toolbox for when you're facing something your body and mind hasn’t had to face. I marked a paper with numbers which came out I was clinically depressed, I still said that’s bull crap. But then I realized I was wrong one day when my voice changed to an extremely low volume. Like my lips didn’t want to move. I was also waking up with my arms cramped and locked to my chest from excessive stress. It was of course the SSHL, dizziness, tinnitus and constant rumination.

Through CBT it at least made me believe things could change and to hold on. And they did, no one else I knew had my problem. The answer was time in my case, and some short term whatever to knock you out and sleep.

It took at least a year and facing the reality only you can help you. I would rate my CBT a B+ because I had a good therapist. Meditation, Yoga all that stuff to me is still garbage, but the socialization aspect was worth it.

I consider myself a pretty tough guy, but for 90 days or so this F’N thing brought me to my knees. I will always and forever be patient and sympathetic for anyone who has weird neurological things and diseases going on. I guess as you get older you never stop learning that compassion is sometimes the only answer.