First Time Caller, Long Time Listener, FML

I've had tinnitus for 13 years now. I got it from playing in a punk band in my teens thru my early twenties. We played loud music 365 days a year with no idea about hearing protection my other band mates got it a little I think but I definitely got it the worst.

I've lost I'd say about half the hearing in my right ear from a moronic sound guy who had no business running sound. he turned the mics up to loud, clipping the speakers in my ear for at least 3 hours. I lost all my hearing in that ear for a couple days but regained a decent amount of it later. Not that it's his fault, I should have worn hearing protection but i just wasn't aware of the dangers at the time.

I have what I call "regular tinnitus" in my right ear and what I call "super tinnitus" in my left. the regular tinnitus I've had for so long its irrelevant too me. (until there is hope for a cure then i will gladly be the first to try a sketchy procedure to cure it) but the left ear that has the super tinnitus (it's much louder, cuts in and out at different frequencies, and just different pitches and sounds constantly) that for me is quite a bit harder to ignore. it can be unbearable and even cause me to have slight panic attacks when thinking about. which is why i looked up this place because today is a brand new pitch and sound. lol. F&^K my life.

I stay focused on other things constantly to cope with the tinnitus. I do a lot of deeply engaging things like strategy games of chess or poker . I've heard about trying to mask it but I'm pretty sure that its nonsense I can always pick the sound out instantly. If you're trying to mask it you're focused on it and that has never been good for me. I'm not suicidal or anything like I've heard some are .... yet but I do wonder what 30 or 40 more years of this will do to me.

Also I'm curious, like who are the leading experts on tinnitus? Has anyone had any results with any kind of treatment? Is this disease getting any financial funding?

p.s I've seen a few post while scrolling of people who have just gotten tinnitus and are scared it seems. I wanna say you really do get used to it and it's not that bad. You gotta quit worrying about if it will go away and start to focus your mind on not thinking about it. Your goal should be set at first like an hour and take it a little longer every time. Soon you will go days weeks without even considering it. And then if it goes away good and if not you will be fine. And then in my case it gets worse which is still nothing you can't handle. But imo it's all a mind game in the end.

 

I think the idea is to give you something else to listen to, besides tinnitus. Sometimes it is called "sound enrichment"...

 

I think that ignoring T is good but you cannot ignore the fact that our sound-damaged ears are far more fragile than Normal ears.
So wearing ear protection in moderate loud situations such as restaurants, commute etc is recommended if not you will eventually end up with new T sounds.

 

Welcome to the forum and thanks for your positive post as a T veteran of sort. Regarding your question above, I guess the best thing is to read up ATA & BTA sites for updates in research. You can also try to browse through the Treatment & Alternate Treatment sections on TT forum for more updated discussions on these treatment alternatives.
Here is a nice introductory thread provided by TT forum to new visitors to the site. It is more for new T sufferers which you are not but there are links to both ATA & BTA. One treatment alternative is stem-cell and our notable member @attheedgeofscience is an expert on the subject. Good luck. God bless.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/panic/