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Sue10

Member
Author
Dec 8, 2016
2
Tinnitus Since
Approx Nov 2016
Cause of Tinnitus
Unknown
Hi, I have had tinnitus for 5 weeks and am really struggling. It came from no where. The constant noise is driving me insane. I have read lots of things on coping strategies, but nothing is helping. I also have a lot of pain around my ear and going into my neck. I don't think I am strong enough to get through this. I am waiting to see an ENT consultant, but I know there is no cure.
 
Have you had your ear checked for wax or infection ?....lots of love glynis
 
Sue,
Get your ears checked for wax or infection and if grind your teeth could be TMJ .
Keep sound on around you and at night play natural sounds set below your tinnitus sound.
Your brain will work hard to pick up the sound you have chosen and help your brains natural filter to not see your tinnitus sound as a threat and push it to the background.
Lavender on your pillow helps relax you and the sense of smell a good distraction.. ..
If you find yourself needing emergancy support in a desperate state ring the Samaritans , MIND mental health,doctor or Go to ENT.
We are here around the clock to support you too....lots of love glynis
 
@Sue10

- There is no cure YET, we are getting closer, pharma companies have been doing trials etc.
- You will feel better, the first few weeks are dark, it's a shock to the system...but gradually the system will adapt. - -- Millions of people live with this, we can do it too...
- I'm still only 6 months in, the first three I was a wreck, now I'm functioning...

One piece of advice, get doctors to check you out, ENT asap, go private if you must. Keep working or whatever you do, save your research, anger, tears for the evening...I let them take too much out of me in the beginning, didn't help with the t or my mental state to dwell on it all day. Ended up on medical leave which went on too long...

Take care, we're all here...
 
Hi Sue,

Welcome aboard!

Like Glynis said, eventually your brain will get bored with the ringing and it will throw it into the "I don't care" bucket. You will still hear the noise, but your nervous system will not construe it as a threat. For me it took about 3-4 months. Just give into it and stop fighting it. As soon as you do this, it will gradually become easier and you can sweep tinnitus under the rug, where it belongs! What I mentioned is known as "habituation".
 
I also have a lot of pain around my ear and going into my neck. I don't think I am strong enough to get through this. I am waiting to see an ENT consultant, but I know there is no cure.

Sorry about your suffering, Sue. It is understandable and quite normal to have dark thoughts at this new state of your T. All your nerves are sensitized to pay full attention to every T outburst and your limbic nerves are dominant, making you function in the fight or flight mode. So try to understand that this phase will pass at some stage and the normal parasympathetic nerves will return and make things easier. When the pre-frontal cortex takes over from the Amygdala to process the T stimulus, you will find that T is not that unbearable nor alarming. But this will take some time. Being more positive and keeping calm, plus mixing it with some relaxing or interesting activities will help speed up the recovery. So try your best to accept the present state and be more optimistic about the future.

Don't know if we can say T having no cure. That is not necessarily true for T caused by a medical reason. Once the medical/health issue is resolved, T can disappear. Your description seems to suggest that you are having some issue with your neck and pain in the ears. That seems to suggest something is wrong. Try to get ENT to check on your ear pain, and try to see if you have a TMJ problem if you have jaw and neck issue.

So don't panic and despair. Even for those of us whose T don't seem to come from a medical issue, we learn to habituate to T over time. T is not an end game. Don't try to project the dark future based on the most acute stage of your suffering. Things can improve. I didn't believe it first and I suffered big time for that mistake. Now I live a normal and absolutely enjoyable life, and what dark future? So try not to listen to the dark lies of the T bully and be positive. Take good care. God bless.
 

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