Deganwy Man James Ivor Jones Jumped to His Death After Being Told There Was No Cure for His Tinnitus

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/deganwy-man-james-ivor-jones-10537739

The coroner at the boatman's inquest said she would write to health bosses to urge them to look at the mental impact of such cases


James Ivor Jones

Six days after being told there was no cure for his tinnitus, boat skipper James Ivor Jones, 58, leapt to his death from a quarry cliff.

An inquest at Llandudno heard that “independent and strong” Mr Jones, of Rockfield Drive, Deganwy, was being tortured by the hearing problem.

Coroner Nicola Jones said she would write to the BMA, Ysbyty Glan Clwyd specialists, his GP and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to urge that in such cases, where sufferers had been given no hope, they should look into the mental impact on the individual.

“It’s clear no one understood the level of anxiety and stress that Mr Jones was being caused,” she said.

He died from multiple injuries in July after jumping down an 80ft quarry face alongside the A547 road at Llanddulas, and a suicide conclusion was recorded.

Mr Jones used to ferry workers to wind farms off the North Wales coast and, when his ashes were scattered at sea, a flotilla of eight vessels was involved in ceremonies onshore and in the Irish Sea, with a flare let off from Llandudno inshore lifeboat.

His son Daniel Jones, 29, told the inquest: “He was a very proud man.”


Danny Jones, son of James Ivor Jones who died at Llanddulas Quarry

Another member of his family at the hearing added: “He was just told to get on with it. There was no bit of encouragement, no hope of improvement.”

In her conclusion, the coroner said: “I don’t think there’s been any lapse of care. But I feel very strongly that there should be a more robust and active approach where someone is given a prognosis in which there is no hope for the future.”

She believed this was necessary particularly, as in this case, where there was no history of an anxiety problem.

“Hopefully lessons can be learned and it will become a real training exercise – a strong man has given in after six days.”

After the inquest, Daniel Jones said the medical authorities had not realised the impact that being told there was no hope had had on his father.

“So many are specialists in their own field but no one took an assessment of the effect on him,” he said.


The flotilla off Rhos-on-Sea to salute James Ivor Jones, whose ashes were scattered to the waves

The family has started an online appeal to raise funds for the British Tinnitus Association, which by yesterday had raised nearly £6,000.

Giving thanks to those who contributed, Daniel said online: “James Ivor Jones had to take his own life away in July 2015, knowing it was the only means of escape for the condition he suffered.

"Please help me raise awareness and further funding so that researchers can find a cure. Nobody deserves to suffer this agonising condition and be tortured in this cruel way.

“It all started with a simple ringing in the ears which slowly crept into his life. Soon after the ringing increased in severity from slight to catastrophic, disharmonious and painful noise.

“Six months of suffering a titanic internal struggle as a result of the chronic tinnitus and hyperacusis. Five simultaneous sounds of extreme screeching, whistling, humming, buzzing and roaring every second of every day.

"This, along with little or no sleep, suffering extreme insomnia can send anyone into a state of despair.”

 

Well he is at peace now.

 

Hi Atlantis,
Thank you for posting this to read and my heart goes out to his family and friends.
Tinnitus can be mental torture and hope one day a cure.
Hope sufferers don't have to hear " their is no cure so live with it" and get all the emotional support and forum support and doctors support and ENT support for as long as they need it and help from audiology and TRT so we don't see anymore of this happening and a life lost to lack of support...lots of love glynis

 

"Live with it" . I have heard that phrase enough times

 

The one thing that should be mentioned by these doctors is that things can change. Why is this not mentioned ever? It can get worse, but it can also get better. I'm not talking about reaction here, I'm talking about the condition.

For myself personally things have not improved, but, I have seen and heard enough evidence here at TT that I still hold onto hope that one day things can change, certain sounds fade or reduce in pitch/volume, low days, H disappears etc. I mean it happens all the damn time yet these professionals seem to tell you that it is what is. This simply is not true, it can improve and often does. Maybe it doesn't go away but it can change, especially in the first year or so.

 

Man I hate reading things like this, I know from being on here that I should have hope for the future, but situations like these scare me, cause what if mine gets that bad, ya know?

 

I doubt he was told that some people with t commit suicide!
Words of my ENT during my first consult.
This bustard should be the first on coroners list to review his bedside manners.
Because of his words I've been in hell every day

 

Read this the other night on google news and literally broke down.

 

Doctors can have terrible bedside manner and no empathy whatsoever. I have said it before and I'll say it again, I think that if all doctors have to take more 'schooling' throughout their career anyway, they should also have to take more courses/refresher courses on empathy.

I can't begin to tell you how many of my doctors for all my various conditions and even my GP have a distinct lack of empathy. It's only my psychologist (who literally saved my life multiple times) and my psychiatrist (who is a very quiet man but also a very understanding man) who understand the meaning of empathy.

 

I believe some of us here, who suffer from "severe" Tinnitus, might not really know what "extreme" Tinnitus is like, until we read about a poor guy like this.

I have imagined in my mind, similar thoughts of my own demise, more times than I care to think of. I have even planned the day and time, but something always pulls me back? I even curse myself out the next day, for not getting the job done and having to do it all over again. Somehow, I get up and try to make another go of it. I think, maybe today will be better and things will start turning around. It's the pure essence of hope that keeps me alive, not the joy of living.

It's mind blowing stuff this Tinnitus and everyone here who suffers this dreadful thing, are heros to me. Even the ones who don't make it through. RIP, James.

 

Nocebo is a powerful thing , so is Tinnitus.

 

Heartbreaking.

It chills me to the bone to think my T may ever get to that level. It's terrifying.

 

He who has the why to live can bear with almost any how.-Neitzsche

 

sorry to hear this.....

 

Scary to hear that his T was so extreme and the ENT didn't try to help at all.

In this day and age, the ENT could have at least done a little online research and referred him to our forum.

R.I.P. James. -- Maybe his story will speed up a T cure or at least build awareness for the thousands of others who are on the brink..

 

This news is like seeing into my future. I don't know that i'll choose jumping, seem rather painful.

 

How many people on this forum have considered committing suicide? I thought about it every day in the early phase of hearing loss and tinnitus. It was a psychologist who helped me decide that I could endure almost anything to be here for my family. I am still angry about the response from medical doctors who told me to learn to live with it. If someone loses a leg or arm, do the doctors just tell them to live with it? I think that people who lose limbs are offered physical therapy, occupational therapy, etc. Our best option is with psychologists, as we wait for the medical world to figure out how to help. Shouldn't the ENT at least direct us to a psychologist with knowledge about tinnitus?

 

I am just the opposite. In the beginning it was mild and didn't really bother me, I never would have considered suicide back then. But now after 10 years it's all I think about most every day. Like I see some news about someone dying in a car accident or something and think to myself, people die everyday, it's no big thing.

 

I have a feeling that those tinnitus suicide stories are not really about simple tinnitus, but rather hyperacusis which has far more impact in regards to one's quality of life.

 

Not really, with hyperacusis you can stay at home and relax. With tinnitus there is no relaxing.

 

Hyperacoussis can be more devastating than tinnitus. For this poor person even the sound of plastic bag being squashed caused an enormous pain.

 

Debating about it is worthless. Just like with tinnitus, there are many variants of hyperacusis. Loud tinnitus can be just as deadly as loud hyperacusis. Or are you saying that those with loud tinnitus but without hyperacusis (LARRY OT and others) are fools for killing themselves?

 

Not at all, T combined with H can be a deadly combination. Sever T can be deadly. I just wanted to say that
many times I've heard people say they could live with T but H is more of a problem. I guess it all depends how severe T is.
None is good that's for sure.

 

I have had t and h for 8 years. I'm sorry for the suffering of others. My philosophy is that, although horribly annoying, many people I know live with much worse conditions like lupus, dementia, MS or ME. So I count my blessings that I don't have a worse condition. I believe that there will be a cure soon, despite the negative outcomes which usually follow promises of a new miracle cure. I know my limitations and stay away from places which are noisey, which is a drag but a necessity and I keep a noise cancelling headset with me. But life goes on and I am determined to remain happy and productive.

 

@Marjorie Lynne - I agree with you that there are much worse afflictions. I wanted to ask you what makes you believe there will soon be a cure, I'm just honestly curious. I'm new to T myself and I just wonder what you've experienced that makes you think a cure is coming soon.
Thanks.

 

Threads like this are the reason I stopped coming here.

 

Nobody seems to have missed you! Go back to living in your little fantasy world.

This is real life! We should all go out and scream how tinnitus kills people.

 

@Marjorie Lynne
@MichaelDC

With all due respect but your comments have no place in this thread or on this board!
Did you ever ask yourself how bad T can get?
How bad this poor man had it?
How about you spare a thought for those that are strugling to survive each and every day because their t is horrendes, their t didn't make them better people, their t didn't enlighten them....
How dare you say what you said!

Your lack of sympathy and understanding is discusting!

 

@valeri My apologies. I never intended any offense and, in hindsight, I see how what I said could be interpreted and insensitive. I really didn't mean to be unsympathetic to the man's suffering. I suppose I was trying to remind myself that what suffering I have with T is nothing compared to what some others are suffering. I hope you can forgive any offense I may have caused. I assure you I didn't intend to me insensitive. Again, my apologies.

 

Rest In Silence James. May your death not be in vain.


Come on. If all countries declared there will be no wars or armed forces in 2016 and the freed up resources poured in the worlds medical problems imagine how 2017 would be for suffers of all conditions....... lots would be solved or at least have better treatment