I Hate TRT (Tinnitus Retraining Therapy)

Checking your posts, it seems you're in the exact same boat as me, so you can't tell me what way to navagate. My tinnitus is caused By my TMD, and because I can reduce it by massaging my TMJs, I'm looking to reduce my tinnitus. That's my endgame. Don't care about anything else regarding tinnitus.

And I would be jealous why? Why would I waste my money for something I'm not even aiming for? No I genuinely think it's retarded and needs to die. Because I like dpdx, I hope it works for him, but if it fails and he just wastes all his money, he can't say I didn't say anything about it.

 

You are not a fool and I don't need to spell it out for you...
All the best
Michael

 

Exactly. What you probably think about money or whatever wouldn't apply to me because that is 100% not what I care about. Again my only goal is to reduce the tinnitus because I can. I'm looking for apples, I don't want people trying to sell me oranges.

 

I don't want to create any arguments, but if your tinnitus is caused by TMD (which mine may be also), I don't know why you started a thread on TRT? I wore my appliance last night with stronger bands on it and my left ear is high volume noise today. I'm checking with the TMJ Dr. again. He is supposed to call me back today.

I also had a airplane barotrauma causing fluid in my left ear, so I'm a bit confused.

 

TRT is a great supportive treatment that works on your emotional responce along with White noise generators and helps a person to move forward in life with weekly support and support your thinking as you go through the course with your counselling one to one sessions.
What ever support you can get as got to be a positive move forward and as this is a world wide forum their will be members who would like to look into this treatment and others whom don't think it's for them.
Some people can get TRT free but can cost a lot of money.
I don't think the treatment should be put down unless you have had it and then its nice to hear about it...good or bad.

My view...love glynis

 

They better not be getting free TRT on socialized healthcare's dime. That kind of misuse of taxpayer money pisses me off.

Whatever the case, I know how it works. Assuming it's loyal to the book, then we can assume that information you can get online for free, just comes with noisemakers in TRT for thousands of dollars. even if it's a true blue treatment, it's still a scam because of how grossly overpriced it is.

 

If I'd had insurance which covered TRT, even partially, I probably would have taken it. I looked into alternatives and have had very significant results, for coping with tinnitus anxiety/distress, with a few months of CBT and Mindfulness-based therapy. All I wanted was to speed up my path to habituation, and I am quite satisfied that I've made quite a bit of progress in that regard within a relatively short time frame. My perception of the tinnitus has changed, and it is far less bothersome than before, and I expect there will be further improvement in the months to come. We all want a cure, but in the meantime, habituation will suffice very well, for me at least.

 

I have to agree the TRT mystery needs to be unveiled. There is no source of detailed information regarding TRT, all you can get are, it's individually tailored, everybody's different, don't mask, mask, sound enrichment, all day, all night, a few hours, you can use your own ear level devices, you must buy ours, blah blah blah. And for the low low price of several thousand dollars all will be revealed.

Sorry, talking to somebody aint' worth thousands of dollars. And the pay off is, you don't even have to come in, just give us a call. wow, who really falls for penguin thousands of dollars to have a visit and a couple phone calls.

The big, we teach you not to fear tinnitus...fear ain't the problem it's the annoying pain in the ass sound that is the problem not fear.

I wish somebody could lay it out in plain English and until that day, I'm calling it for what it is, another in a long list of money making schemes designed to separate us from out money.

 

I would love to receive TRT but it's not being offered anywhere near me, unfortunately. I truly believe that it can help people to cope with their tinnitus. Should TRT be the only available treatment for tinnitus? No, of course not, there should be medications that can lessen or even cure your tinnitus. But until these kinds of treatments exist the most supportive treatment that we can get is TRT. Some people might think that's sad or pathetic, but as long as it helps people suffering from tinnitus it is valid and should be recommended. Sometimes I'm worried that due to TRT other research is being funded less or that it creates the misconception that tinnitus can be cured, but I would never say that it can't actually help someone with tinnitus or that people shouldn't receive it just because it's not an actual cure.
Edit: But I agree that TRT shouldn't cost thousands of dollars, that's just insane.

 

@threefirefour ,
Hi,
TRT is free at some hospitals on the NHS .
My hospital does CBT free.
Books are great to read and great support but looking in the eyes of a counsellor and talking face to face building up a good connection and working through the problems tinnitus can cause is very uplifting and trying out White Noise Generators and giving feed back each week with them is a service that can help you move forward.
Its not me trying push it on to you but to show both sides and getting members whom have had TRT come forward with how they went on.
I agree with @Michael Leigh that anyone on TRT treatment are best keep away from forums so it does not put a downer on their positivity to move forward and come on after to give their view good or bad.
Love glynis

 

It's unfortunate, but you are right. There is nothing that can be done as far as I can tell. I have $4,000 hearing aids. I don't eat salt, nitrates, sugar, aspartame, tomatoes, nuts. Is there anything else I shouldn't eat? I'm afraid to exercise because that also ramps it up. I'm lucky (?) I can sleep, so I do a boatload of sleeping to escape the noise. I also go to an audiologist, and I asked her what is TRT, and she said I have been having it! I also go to a therapist. He wants to know about problem relationships. One thing that makes sense to me though is from Claire Weeks' Relief from Nervous Suffering. She said the symptom does not necessarily cause anxiety; it's the fear of the symptom that causes the anxiety. It's roundabout, but helps me cope a little bit.

 

"Free". It's not free because it comes from taxes, meaning money is being spent. It boils down to "what does TRT have that's worth thousands that I can't get for free on the internet?"

 

Why don't you look at the published scientific studies? There's a few that cover TRT. They're available for your perusal on pubmed (for free).

 

There is no question that most people with tinnitus problems will eventually habituate and adjust without TRT or other forms of therapy, but the question remains as to how soon this will happen, as compared to those who complete a course of therapy such as TRT, which can take some time. I suspect that a full course of TRT is not necessary for many people with tinnitus discomfort, but there are some for whom it will benefit greatly.

 

Well said @Luman

TRT, As I See It.

I think some people misunderstand TRT and the way it can help tinnitus. Whilst a person is entitled to an opinion, if they haven’t been on the programme and only read reports on it, I don’t believe they are getting the full picture. A number of people have asked me about its effectiveness and when should it be administered. I covered this in my post: What is TRT and when should it be started: https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/what-is-trt-and-when-should-it-be-started.19024/

TRT has quite a following and has caused much debate in this forum and elsewhere on the Internet. Unfortunately, a lot of these comments haven’t been favourable, although those that have had the treatment or elements of it have said they found it helpful. This treatment is expensive and I will be candid and say, only those that can afford it are able to try it.

Where I live the treatment is free but it is only available at selected hospitals. Even then, some don’t follow the TRT protocol and adapt the treatment to their requirements but good results have still been possible. In some parts of the UK it’s just not available nor is CBT. Therefore, anyone wanting TRT will have to pay privately at clinic. Other forum members have told me the treatment is free in their country and like the UK, it has been adapted to include some elements of the therapy. This may be wearing one or two white noise generators and not always having tinnitus counselling with a Hearing Therapist, so a person may be left to just get along with it.

I have learned in some countries medical insurance won’t touch TRT, so a person will have to pay for it out of their own pocket, which I think this is unfortunate.

So what is TRT and if one is able to pay for it should they, taking into account some of the negative comments that it has received? Having had TRT twice over 20 years following the TRT protocol, I will try to shed some more light on this treatment and hopefully give the individual a little more clarity to make up their own mind on whether the financial outlay is worth it, but more importantly; is it effective as a treatment for someone that has tinnitus and hyperacusis and enable them to have a better quality of life?

I first want to say the following is based on my own opinion and therefore is not professional medical advice. The onset of tinnitus can be quite an emotional roller coaster for a lot of people, and I believe a person needs time for this to settle. Many people habituate within the first six months to one year of the onset of tinnitus without any treatment. If a person just has tinnitus without any additional symptoms, such as dizziness, deafness or balance problems. I think a period of at least six months should elapse before starting a long-term treatment such as TRT. Anyone paying privately needs to know they are getting the proper treatment. Any clinic not giving you this service then I advise you to go elsewhere because it is not TRT. You should be given two white noise generators to wear and also having regular counselling sessions with a Hearing Therapist or Audiologist. More is explained in the above link.

TRT is not a complete cure so anyone seeking this might be disappointed. However, the sound therapy, which involves wearing white noise generators, I believe can cure hyperacusis as in my case. It should be noted, whilst this treatment may not cure tinnitus, many people find its perception reduces to such a low level they can comfortably live with it. Habituate. In some instances a person might be unaware of their tinnitus for long periods. Each person will respond to it differently.

If you have ever lost someone that is close to you, such as a parent, partner or even a pet then you will know what it is to grieve. Most people will go through this process at some point in their life. It is not often talked about but we all know it’s something that’s inevitable and will come to us sooner or later perhaps even more than once in our lifetime. It requires a period of time for a person to accept that their life has changed, and time is needed to adjust so they will eventually be able to move on.

Why am I saying this some of you might be wondering? A forum member recently asked what does TRT involve? I was explaining to him, the counselling part of the therapy and the relationship between patient and Hearing Therapist. At first the therapist discusses with the patient how the tinnitus makes them feel and how it has impacted on their life. Often people say they have lost interest in the things they once liked doing, which is perfectly understandable. The main goal is to gradually help them to look at life differently and with a more positive outlook. Over time the negative thinking that is often associated with tinnitus and hyperacusis is gradually dispelled and demystified. The Hearing Therapist does this in a controlled and precise manner so that the patient feels relaxed and not pressured.

The forum member then said it sounds like a form of grief counselling. After we had spoken I thought about it and have to say I believe it to be a good description, because that’s what the therapy part of TRT is akin to. The amount of times people have told me over the phone or read posts in this forum: “If I could only get my life back”. “My life used to be perfect”. “I keep looking at peoples ears and wondering what my life used to be like”. “If I could only hear silence again”. And so on.

When someone gets loud intrusive tinnitus with or without hyperacusis, in an instant their world has been turned upside down. Some go through periods of stress, anxiety even depression and yearn for the way life was before the onset. They need time to adjust and to accept this new anomaly in their life. Some have an easier time than others at habituating, so may not need the help of a tinnitus counselling. For some that find the tinnitus and hyperacusis severely intrusive TRT and CBT can prove to be helpful. It all depends on the individual, their emotional makeup and the severity of the condition because we are all different. It is for this reason; the treatment can take up to 2 years for a person to adjust to a different way of life and often with a positive outcome.

I was fortunate to have TRT twice and found it to be helpful on both occasions. I only wish that it were more readily available to others.

Michael

 

If my T was insanely bad, I'd be prepared to pay a lot for TRT, as I believe that it would be the best solution currently available for extreme cases. Fortunately, I have been lucky enough to not have it as bad as some.

There are some studies which have shown that CBT is a very effective for treating the psychological aspects of tinnitus. Since the purpose of CBT is to empower the patient with the skills needed to personally overcome his/her problems, in a relatively short period of time, the total cost should be considerably lower than TRT. Unfortunately, there are very few CBT therapists who are have experience helping people with T.

 

I really don't think it's worth it because of time and cost (assuming it even works), and even though I support gov't healthcare, I don't want to pay tax money on other people getting jewed by TRT. As Luman said CBT is better and I like it more because it's more general, and doesn't get in the way of tinnitus research.

I have fluid in ears right now because I'm sick. I can still hate TRT though.

 

I have unlimited time and internet access and have read just about everything ever published and they fall short of providing the secret details. If you have a resource I might have missed please provide a link. I'm sure everyone here would be interested in reading it.

 

This pretty much says it all ...

Doubt & Despair with Tinnitus

 

This is not the secret details but maybe one small piece of the puzzle. This document is from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs and entitled:

Guide to conducting tinnitus retraining therapy initial and follow-up interviews

Authored by Pawel Jastreboff and others.

http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.499.678&rep=rep1&type=pdf

 

There's no magic to TRT; it's a combination of basic CBT with constant audio enrichment to try to get the brain less 'stuck' on the noise. @Ambassador where are you getting the idea that there's some kind of secret sauce?

I had a TRT clinician who was offering me ~$2000 ear-level noise generators tell me straight up that the only significant difference between using those and using earbuds and a cellphone, is that the noise generators are smaller, don't have cables, and attract less attention since they're pretty hidden behind your ears. I thought that was a very honest answer, but I'm not vain enough to care, especially since I leave home about once a week anyway.

People who try to pass this off as some kind of magical special thing, are either directly trying to sell you something, or just misinformed. It's pretty obvious that the way we choose to consciously interact with our experience of life can impact the way that experience feels; it's also pretty obvious that no amount of CBT, magic incantations or woo is necessarily going to alleviate the symptoms of disease. At best, these are practices for managing reaction and improving quality of life.

Like meditation, it's all very simple and yet extremely difficult to put into practice and then have the patience to stick with it for long enough to see any appreciable difference.

 

My experience was comparable to that of @linearb.

I was treated with TRT under the care of Dr. Pawel Jastreboff, who is one of the creators of TRT. At the outset, he said he could treat me with TRT either with the wearable sound generators (WSGs) or without them, instead using my own earbuds and iPhone. He said progress likely would be faster with the WSGs, but either way was fine. He said that he priced the WSGs at his cost (about $1,600 for the pair), so financially he was indifferent to the two options.

 

It is just a protocol. One of the controversies is whether the treatment offered is proper TRT or TRT-like. At the core, as many times it has been said, it is just counseling with basic CBT with limbic (emotion) + autonomous (attention) theories, and white noise generators for noise desensitization. It involves nominally expensive noise generators, and the counseling is not cheap either. There are many variations of sound therapy + counseling, but they are not proper TRT. The goal is just getting to habituation whatever the path is taken.

 

Yes, it's a good write up but why wouldn't considering the man credited with coming up with TRT is an author.

I'm curious if anyone here has benefited from TRT and what the cost was.

 

I get more mad at the insane amount of money being spent on plain stupid shit than I would TRT. If TRT can help anybody with this god awful noise why be mad at that?

 

Because it's far too expensive for what it's worth.

 

What's a cure worth to you?

 

At least the price of TRT but TRT isn't a cure. so it's not worth as much as one.

 

Do you demand 100% silence to be cured?

 

Would be nice and I do hope for that eventually but right now I'm going for 50%-75%.