I Can't Do Work Anymore

I can't sit at the desk where I damaged ears and not think about my damaged ears. Work itself doesn't distract me, quite the opposite in fact. I need something else to occupy my thoughts as I draw the same cabinets over and over. I can't sit here and deal with more distracting noise than ever before in the form of this incessant ringing.

When the office is quiet enough for me to get work done, the tinnitus is too loud to ignore. When the office is too loud to get work done I can't do anything about it anymore. I can't wear noise isolating headphones because it makes the ringing louder. I can't even wear any headphones according to Michael Leigh. I've barely gotten any work done in the last 44 days.

Tasks are piling up and I am unable to do them. Getting work done was already a problem what with my ADD. Now I'm useless. I feel tortured sitting here for 8 hours every day trying my best not to think about tinnitus the whole time. Then as soon as I'm off work, I can finally distract myself from the tinnitus, but I feel like shit not for not having gotten any work done.

 

You commented on my post a while back that you envy people with a good work ethic. Well, I gotta tell you, I ain't all that perfect on that front either. Look at me, I ought to be cramming material and once again I'm reading posts on this forum. But I do try to make that the exception and studying time the rule.

Each day I gotta throw myself in my work and pretty much glue my papers to my face in order to get shit done. I'd much rather seek out actual distraction, such as movies and whatnot, but I don't want to let tinnitus have that control over me. I choose to move on and do what I can. If I still fail despite doing so, I cannot say I have myself to blame for it, but rather this miserable condition. Keep your chin up and fight the power!

 

I've been having trouble finding focus too. I have yet to work half as much in a day as I used to. I know it's up to me to tough it out and get it done but I have not succeeded on that front. I stopped working a little over a week ago because I pulled my back and I welcome the time off.

And yes, I'm here again too as opposed to doing what I should be.

I guess we're all different in the time it takes to adapt no matter what the level of the t. Right now my t is annoying but the h and ear fullness are more annoying. I am listening to rain for masking right now.

Do your best. That's all we can do.

 

I am sorry to hear of the distress that you are in @sirhand Unfortunately, this can happen with the onset of tinnitus when it is severe. Hopefully it will calm down with time. Please remember that you are in the very early stages of tinnitus. Therefore, please read my post below and click on the links to read my articles that you might find helpful. Regarding headphones. I have never said one "can't" wear them if they have tinnitus or tinnitus caused by "noise trauma" as in your case. I have said and will continue to do so. In my opinion, it is not advisable for anyone that has noise induced tinnitus, to use headphones even at low volume, as there is a risk of making the tinnitus worse.

I wish you well.
Michael

New to tinnitus what to do?

The onset of tinnitus can be difficult for a lot of people to cope with. It comes in many forms and intensities and no two people experience it the same. When it is mild, moderate or occasionally heard in quiet surroundings it is usually not too bothersome and a person can go about their daily affairs quite happily and unperturbed by this anomaly. This type of tinnitus usually comes on gradually and in some cases it’s associated with hearing loss, as we get older and the usual treatment is the wearing of hearing aid/s.

Tinnitus can be also be caused by an underlying medical problem, build up of ear wax (cerumen). Jaw problems. Some medications and even irregular blood flow through the body causing Pulsatile tinnitus. One of the most common causes is exposure to loud noise or music that has been played at high levels that can affect the cochlea in the ear. This type of tinnitus can be loud, intrusive and very debilitating. Often leaving a person at a loss and not knowing which way to turn to escape the noise. I fully understand how difficult it can be for someone new to this condition to take this in and believe it to be factual.

If you are having difficulty sleeping you might have been advised to try a nighttime sedation or an ant-depressant to help cope with the stress and anxiety that often accompanies tinnitus. These medications can be helpful especially in the early stages and they don’t have to be taken long term, so it’s something to consider. They can act as a safety net so you don’t become too down.

A referral to ENT will usually be recommended. In the mean time try to keep occupied with something you like doing, as it helps to distract the brain from focusing on the tinnitus. Avoiding quiet rooms during the day by playing low-level non-intrusive music such as classical in the background can be helpful.

At night a sound machine placed by the bedside playing nature sounds or listening to favourite mp3 tracks or Cds are good. Keeping the volume just below the tinnitus is ideal and set to play throughout the night until morning. It takes time to get used to sound therapy so please stay with it. Whilst in a deep sleep it supplies the brain and auditory system with sound enrichment. Over time the tinnitus is pushed further into the background helping to make its perception less noticeable during waking hours.

In the early stages of tinnitus, if one chooses not to use sound enrichment sleeping can sometimes be difficult and there is also the chance of the tinnitus becoming more intrusive as sleeping in a quiet room can allow the brain to increase it’s own background activity. In doing so it will also increase the tinnitus making it more intrusive during waking hours.

There is a tendency for newbies to try and cure their tinnitus which is quite understandable. There are many remedies, treatments and concoctions out there. Some affordable others quite expensive. I am not averse to trying to help myself but want to say, there are charlatans and con artists eager to relieve someone in distress of their money so please be careful. Even tried and tested treatments I wouldn’t recommend a person try until they have been seen at ENT. Often a person after been seen at ENT is advised to wait a while.

Many people habituate to tinnitus within six months sometimes a little longer and it has been known to go away. The ear is a very delicate organ and many Doctors prefer to wait before investigating further and then suggesting a treatment. If other problems are experienced such as: pain in the ears, deafness, dizziness or balance problems this is of more concern and a person will usually been seen quicker.

It is best to have a word with your GP if you’re feeling stressed or depressed in any way, as previously mentioned there are treatments available. Leaving things alone until your ENT advises you of the next step is the best thing to do in my opinion. Don’t try to fix anything or throw large sums of money at treatments that you have no way of knowing whether you’ll get any relief.

I advise not to listen to audio through headphones even at low volume especially if the tinnitus was "noise induced" and keep away from loud sounds. By all means go out but anywhere that plays loud music then wearing noise-reducing earplugs, the type that has attenuation filters would be a good idea. 18 to 30 decibels reduction should suffice. While reducing external sound they will not impair sound quality.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/is-positivity-important.23150/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-and-the-negative-mindset.23705/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/acquiring-a-positive-mindset.23969/

 

@sirhand,
You could try-
Have a window open,
desk fan on,
A sound like a stream,
Maybe an extra break or two.
A ticking desk clock,
Stress ball,
you can get a speaker collar,
noise reduction plugs,
Whie noise generators,
Love glynis x

 

Well, I'm pretty much bipolar at this point. I think what happened is I got a spike probably from mowing my lawn (guess I need to hire someone to do that now). That spike combined with me using my T as an excuse to not do work made me stressed out.
All of that made me end up crying hysterically at work. I left work early and listened to music that makes me cry on the way home. This was the first time I really cried about my T. I bawled my eyes out. I have wanted to cry about this for a long time but for whatever reason the tears never came until then.
Those tears marked an important step in my recovery. I'm doing much better now. T is back to baseline. I've been getting work done today. I'm just more emotionally fragile than I used to be.
Thanks everyone for the support.

 

@sirhand ,
A good cry helps release built up emotions and that is normal.
Great to hear you are doing better and your tinnius sound settling.
love glynis

 

@sirhand
Can you play music on your computer speakers at a low volume so that you can hear it but it doesn't disturb your co-workers?

 

Get a good pair of hearing protecting ear muffs and you can still cut your lawn. That's one place where protection is necessary. There are a lot of people who over protect in places where it's really not necessary but any power tool needs to be used with protection.

 

@sirhand

I get it and I've been there. Don't be surprised if you get emotional again. I hope things continue to improve for you.

 

Although I am retired, I still have a home office for doing banking and research, ect.....
I use an old smart phone with a rain app on it and leave it running next to my desk. It really helps

 

Going to work is almost a certainly that my T will spike . I now start work late, leave work early and take more days off and I'm not as half productive as I was before T and I do not despair over this. This helps rest my ears and reduces spikes and actually see improvement in my T.

 

@sirhand - Believe me, you are not the only individual with tinnitus. Countless millions of people are afflicted with it and lead normal, productive lives; they go to work, raise families, go out and socialize, and endure life's obstacles. Here is the mental trick I use: leave tinnitus alone and it will leave you alone; do not pick a fight with it... simply allow it to ring and pay it no mind. Otherwise, your thoughts will spiral into fear and you will mentally paint yourself into a corner, allowing the tinnitus to win. It is really basic psychology.

 

it's not just tinnitus he said he also had ADD, monotonous labor doesn't help tinnitus.

 

I like the advice you are giving but I want to clarify some things.

1. Simply allow it to ring and pay it no mid - I like this, let it ring, because it's gonna ring anyways. Don't dwell on the ringing. Make the ringing/tinnitus your friend (this may seem odd to people, but if you accept the noise, then it can become easier to deal with it).

2. Raise families - This can be quite tough to do. Your spouse may not be in the same page as you. Children will be screaming and it can be quite challenging. This can be done, If i had to do this. I'd be wearing ear plugs near the kids. Always be on the same page with your spouse. Let them know that your ears are stuck in hell and loud noises must be reduced or managed.

3. Going out and be social can be quite tough for those that suffer with tinnitus and those that have hearing loss. I am very social and I make friends all the time. The only issue is this, being social can also come with a cost too. I made a new friend and he wants to go to a bar and just hang out. I was upfront with him and told him that my hearing is garbage and my ears are in pain when I am in loud spots. Now I have to selectively choose, a spot that will have some fun factor and the same time not make my tinnitus worst.

4.We can live a normal life. A normal life doesn't always involve, being in loud spots or being in parties. A normal life can be a simple walk in the park or going by the beach.

5. It is very possible to live a productive life and thrive....even with tinnitus

6. We can endure and beat life's obstacles. This can be done and I hope all of you move forward in your lives

Bless all

 

This really resonates as my experience

 

It was October when the world series was on. I was bored out of my mind and decided to walk into a sports grill and the game was on. I had my db meter on and it was averaging about 90 db. Then a team hit a home run and the place erupted. It got up to 110 dbs and it lasted for 1-3 minutes. I covered my ears and decided to leave right away. That noise scared the pants off me and my ears were feeling it for 1-2 days.

We have to be very selective with our spots. It's not fair, it's not easy...but that's life for us with tinnitus.

PS-My buddy texted me and wants to hang out next week, but I have no clue where to go that is not super loud. It sucks being in this position...

 

I think most of us, (the 10 percenters) bring some kind of baggage with us when we contract tinnitus. That is why a lot of us suffer as we do. For me I have had trouble sleeping for 5 or so years. That is one of the worst case scenarios for someone with T. I didn’t sleep much for 2 years, fortunately I sleep now. Other people might have marriage, money, depression, health problems, etc. My brother has T, but didn’t miss a night’s sleep. I asked a friend of mine if he was ever anxious, and said “no, what are you crazy”. I’ve met other people that adjust to T in short order. The common theme; they were self assured, confident, and just treated it as another roadblock they had to overcome. For them it was just another of life’s stumbling blocks.

 

@sirhand its tough man, listen to micheal leigh and take his advice, he has a wealth of experience with this condition. I sympathise with you having to go to work with this condition and doing something that requires concentration. The thing about Tinnitus is it makes no sense really, it will do things your logical brain just cant comprehend. It takes time to work things out and get in control of it, this is major step in beating it emotionally. Time is everyones friend, just be strong and work through it a day at a time. Masking it with apps on your phone at work might help if your allowed to do that.

 

same here bro.. I took leaves when i feel the same.

 

I was out of work since February when my Tinnitus jumped from Mild to Extreme to Severe. I am unable to work and I find myself not being able to hold conversations with people. I am drifting out all the time and going into my own world. I am tortured 24/7

 

How are things now? Any better? I truly feel your pain since I’ve had T I’ve been in work and off and in and off etc etc I was in the middle of doing a degree as well and that’s been but on the back burner for now as my concentration is shot. I’m hoping I’ll get back to some form of my old self in time, only time will tell??

 

I am dealing with the same situation bro, i am also on leaves from quite a few days, i told them some other reason behind my leaves no one understands me, some says i am lazy person, but i don't care about anyone anymore, it was quiet stable some days before, but unfortunately i donot wear earplugs at a road side and a bus horn causes some more damage to my ears,

I don't know what my future is going to be... With this condition.

 

Promising new drug is on the way ...
One promising development in tinnitus research is drug therapy. Biomedical research funded by Action on Hearing Loss is already being tested in clinical trials. Experts are hopeful that this may lead to a marketable drug treatment by the year 2020.

 

I hope they found a cure, or some relief.

 

Dude my life is pretty much over. Two months in will mark a year for me. I had Severe T since February and no improvement at all. Oh God HOW I WISH I CAN HAVE MILD T again.

 

Make tinnitus your friend, eh?

Hi tinnitus, how are you?

Eeeeeeeeeeeeee....

Can you play any other tune?

 

Your are still new to this you have a high chance of going away. Mine is pretty much permanent severe tinnitus as of right now.

 

There are millions of people out there, stay strong, how it becomes so severe bro.

 

My T became severe after caloric test/VEMP test back in January. On top of that I have Severe Hyperacusis, Dark eye floaters, and Visual Snow.