Confession: I've Started Calling My Tinnitus "A Migraine'

I simply don't want to have to casually explain the worst thing that’s ever happened to me. (And then be met with confusion or distrust.) My tinnitus gets structurally worse and it's a fucking punch in the throat every time.

When it gets really bad I take a day off. I can't handle it 24/7, I can’t ignore it. I try, but I can’t. Hence why I've been calling in sick with a migraine every once in a while. I don't feel guilty. Just tired

 

There’s no shame in that!

 

I just often go with some excuse like, "I'm not feeling really good."

It helps to get someone to immediately understand and provide some sense of empathy- it at least can help you feel a bit better in the moment, at least for me anyway.

As Michael said, don't sweat it that much. Tinnitus isn't exactly the most 'public' illness that everyone can relate to. I think it's vital that we do whatever we can to help ourselves feel better. World's too short to sit in misery and force ourselves to be stuck in it without any attempt to at least help it a bit, right?