Disappointed

I finally got up the nerve to call a company who I thought did TRT, and they have been sold

The people who took it over will do a session with me explaining T but usually they now just refer onto a psychologist. Or offer neuronmonics which I said I wasn't all that interested in at the moment - I can mask now with my iPhone.

I'm so disappointed. I'm at the stage that I'm not coping that well, and thought TRT would be good for me and my personality and now I kinda feel that option has been taken from me

I don't know anyone else near us does it.

I feel so lost and on my own now ...

 

Also should add that she said she sees people everyday with T and some just don't habituate. Way to encourage me

 

I'm just wonder what type of T do you have. Can it be covered with sound? Mine is triggered by sound so the TRT wont work well with me.

 

I'm so sorry you feel on your own. There is no place that does trt?
I'm really sorry where do you live? And how long have you t? Don't let those un-encouraging words bring you down! You WILL habituate! That's what I tell myself everyday. Even on the worst days I try to go on long drives and cry. Sometimes crying really helps. Sounds weird. But I always tell myself to never let myself give up..
It's really hard I know. But please don't give up yet..you WILLhabituate

 

@beemovie - yep, my T can be covered with certain types of sound.
I used to be able to listen to audiobooks and go about my business which would mask the t, but that doesn't work anymore. Now i tend to reply on music, and my wind chime sound on my iPod.

@Maithe Marshall - I'm in Australia, in a semi rural area. Newcastle is about a 2 hour drive from us, which would have been doable for TRT, but now I can't find anyone else in that type of radius that does it. I can't travel to Sydney or another capital city for it - too far and with hubby working shift work and having a 5 year old and a 2 year old, it's just not really doable.

I've had T now for 9 months and had hoped to be a little better by now. I know you shouldn't monitor but in the last 2 months it has increased in volume

 

Praying that u feel better and t goes down..

 

From what I understand based on what kind of T you have it does sound like it might help you. I think the reason that there are not a lot places around is because insurance does not cover it ( at least in the US). It does take about 18 months if you do it. If music works for you I would 100% use it. This may sound strange but I used to love listening while my child watched the wiggles because they sing alot. For some strange reason I liked the songs. Now I have a problem with any sound because of the T.

 

I'm so sorry have you talked to your dr about a anti-depressant? Are you currently on one? I know how you feel..
I am going to pray for you. In the meantime take long showed ( works for me) cry if you need to, take night drives and try and relax. I know it's hard.

 

My dr thinks that you can get the same results from relaxing as you can from an anti depressant (I'm rolling my eyes like you wouldn't believe!)
GPS around here are pretty anti anxiety meds if you are younger.

 

Honestly if she told you that she must be sick of her job or maybe she was having PMS. Even if that were true it is not a thing a good psychologist tells you. The facts show that 70-80% habituate naturally (without help and even without turning to the doctor). The number of people for whom it becomes unbearable is small.
When it comes to tinnitus, we must realize that there is no treatment for it. This is important because with some conditions which are treatable the doctor actually tells us to monitor our situation. If there were treatments for T, then probably it would also be like that. But there is none, so it doesnt matter whether you have it or not. Dont check it, dont listen for new sounds.
I find keeping busy particularly helpful. You have two children and I realize you are volunteering somewhere. That should keep you in action at least some of the time. If you find yourself sitting around do smth. Do sudokus, crosswords, watch interesting movies, read, work out. Im a student and when I study I forget all about tinnitus, because Im focused. Therefore I believe learning new things is very helpful. Maybe enroll in some language courses or study smth at home. You cn even create deadlines for yourself if that helps.
When it comes to habituation, it has a lot to do with attitude and belief. You cant change the T but you can change your attitude. I suppose we all have to accept painful and annoying things in life, which is why it is actually a larger matter. Tinnitus makes us face our own weaknesses that we have to overcome. Therefore maybe average therapy with a good psychologist might help as well. They can help with your overall attitude, which will gradually allow you to relax. Your brain will slowly realize that tinnitus is not dangerous and lose interest in it.
Here on this board we have many people with intrusive tinnitus who are able to live a good and productive life with it. Read their posts and contact them - they no best.

 

You are so very right @Stina, when I'm busy i tend to notice it less which is good. I'm praying that even when I don't notice it, somehow my brain still does and I'm working towards habituation without realising it. Wouldn't that be wonderful!

I am having a hard time getting past the "there is nothing you can do" line. I've always believed that there was ALWAYS a way to work things out no matter what they were, and now with T, that doesn't apply. It's hard.

 

Its the same for me. Therefore I think ordinary therapy might help (im considering it myself as well, but I am very busy at the moment so maybe in the summer). A good therapist can definitely help you overcome that. But it is good that you have realized it, because that could be the key note that stops you from habituating. Eliminate that and maybe you will habituate then.

 

That's what I told the lady I spoke too .... I don't need her to tell me about T because everyone here has already given me so much information, and with my dad suffering also I have a pretty good handle on it, plus she agreed when she said that neuromonics was very expensive when I am able to mask myself at the moment with my iPod.

She did say she could refer to a psychologist, so I'd assume she would have some good contacts with ones who have spoken to T sufferers in the past.

I'm having a more In depth hearing test next week so I will probably call her after I get those results and maybe book an appointment so she can refer me. Will be an expensive referral, but my GP clearly has no frickin idea

 

Hi Amelia.
Stay strong. I know how you feel. I hear my T over any other sounds and I still don't know how to live with it forever. But no one knows what forever means. Let's handle day by day.
A guy called Knighty7540 wrote a success story. And he writes "Time is the healer".
Let us accept it is just a noise. It is just "music of the brain".
Let us work on our reaction to it.
Stay strong. You have so much to live for.
And write here, write, write, write. It distracts you from T and keeps you busy.
BR, Martin

 

I would get a new doctor anti depressants and sleeping medicine made the world of difference for me

 

@beemovie, I'm curious. Why exactly do you feel that TRT won't work well for you? Most folks with tinnitus that is "triggered by sound" do just fine with TRT.

Stephen Nagler

 

Had the same experience when I had my first hearing test.

After the test I told the guy that was administrating it “I may have a bit of a problem hearing the lowest frequencies because they are masked by my tinnitus” His response? “Yeah, tinnitus is incurable and it may lead to depression and suicide later in life. Good luck. There is the door.”


I mean, imagine if you had the audacity to say such a thing to a cancer patient.


I have thankfully habituated since then, but trust me, my initial reaction was not calm and focused.

 

@AliHT :Anything specific you did for habituating?
I would like to just not react to my T. But better said than done.
Maybe I need being more patient since my T is high pitched and I can hear it always.

 

I have tones, high pitched static and some pulsative when I stay quite. But then when I hear sounds including my own voice I hear a louder high pitched static attached which fades away when the sound stops. The other problem is any quick movement like go on stairs, walking, make quick movements will give me the high pitched static sound which will then turn into a high pitched single sound the faster I move. If I go up and down on my tippy toes faster and faster or jump up and down it will get so loud it sounds like my head is going to explode. If I were to crush a empty plastic water bottle, ever click of the bottle sounds to me like a piece of glass breaking. The sound of opening mail or the sound of a plastic bag sounds so bad to me I dont want to even touch them. That is why I dont think the trt will work for me. I was in a parking garage looking over the side the other day staring down to the ground the other day while I was waiting to go back inside a building. A security guard drove up to me, laughed and asked if I was ok because it looked like I might want to jump. I told him I was just waiting to go back inside which was true. The funny thing is the reason I was looking over because I was thinking how it would be to jump. Now I had no intention of doing it but that is how I think anymore because I feel like I am trapped in my body.

 

@beemovie, it's ironic. I'm reading through your post listing the reasons you don't think TRT will work for you, and I'm thinking, "Hey, this guy sounds like a pretty good candidate for TRT!"

I guess we look at it differently.

I'm not saying you ought to rush out to a TRT clinic and sign on the dotted line. All I'm saying is that if you are going to rule something out, rule it out for the right reasons!

Stephen Nagler

 

I believe part of what I have is what is called crosstalk. How can TRT help that part of it? In regard to TRT I was told don't worry about the somatic part it. But how can I forget about when something simple like moving set it off

 

I think that the best thing to do if you are seriously interested in TRT would be to locate a knowledgeable and experienced TRT clinician and discuss your situation with him or her. All I'm saying is that in general the types of things you cited in your Post #19 do not impact TRT success rates.

Stephen Nagler

 

I began by putting a set of speakers in my room where I could not locate them visually, as to not perceptually locate the source of the noise, and had them on with pink noise through out most the day. This trick I discovered was really interesting, because instead of having a pair of headphones stuck to my head which would sub-consciously link the treatment session with my tinnitus, I decided I ought to make the pink noise almost ambient, like a rainy day on an afternoon.

Then just through the power of time I managed to habituate. This is my personal experience and may differ to yours.

Edit: My tinnitus was also very hight pitched in the beginning. I thought that this is the way it is going to be, but of course it changed very much afterwards for the better!

 

Ali about how long did it take you to habituate?

 

It took 3 months. Now I only hear it in absolute silence and when I want to.

 

I'm so glad you posted - the first GP I saw (for an MRI referal) laughed and said "I have seen tinnitus patients in the past, it will drive you mad. Drove them all mad" - then she kept laughing! Stupid woman.

I'm glad that even with such a negative reaction early on you have managed to habituate

 

Yeah, people working in the medical community are not only there to mend your body but also help ease your pain, which also correlates to you getting better physically. Sadly, this sentiment is lost on many people working there. There are the good few though.

Now with the habituation part. If someone told me I would be this well off with the ringing(which I can not even recognize at this point of writing), I would have slapped them in the face.

“You mean my mind will get used to this?!”

You can clearly see this in my writing if you go read my introduction I made on the first day here.

I really do not know how. I had internal wars only the Gods know of, as I was sure I would be hospitalized for a mental illness if I did not overcome these horrible feelings I had within me.

Someway, somehow, through the push of whatever hope I managed to scrounge, I began slowly treating myself better and therefore feeling better. I seriously forget I have tinnitus sometimes if it was not for all you lovely people on this forum.

So therefore Amelia, I understand what you are going through. Every bit of it! How could I not? Be disappointed, brake that god damn awful vase your mother in law bought you for Christmas, yell at the mirror reflection of your dog on a Sunday afternoon, fill your face with ice cream and pretend you are from outer space, then play the piano, laugh at romantic music and kiss the cutest boy you could ever think of and say - You know what, I can still do all of those things with the same passion with or without this ringing.

That my friend is what habituation is.