I'm Rob — All Started Mid March'16 — Not Sure I Can Handle This...

Hi everyone...i guess theres been lots of posts like this...and I'm not normally one for posing on forums, but this evil thing that hit me in March'16 has hit me for 6 and not sure what to do....

For no apparent reason, at the time I moved house, these high pitched tones just started and they seem not to be going....they have been on and off now for 2-3 weeks. Obviously more noticeable when its quiet...but also noticeable at times theres lots of background noise too...

Im seeing the doctor next week but from what I hear, all they say is theres nothing much can be done and get used to it. Im not sure I can...

Im a 45 year old generally fit man...and about 3 or 4 times now...Ive got home and just sobbed...

Ive read a few things about habituating and the sound becomes normal...if that would happen Id be happy...but the way things are at the moment, I can't ever imagine these noises becoming normal...

I seem to be managing to sleep mostly ok as I put the TV on then fall asleep...wake up in the middle of the night and turn it off...then just fall back asleep...

Any, any advise would be appreciated or medical trials Id also be up for!

Helps just to write things down as Ive no-one to talk to about this here really....

 

Welcome to Tinnitus Talk Rob.
Tinnitus can be hard going in the early days and weeks as tinnitus invades our lives.
The emotions we go through are just as hard as anxiety takes hold and low mood and lack of sleep and uncertanty about our future start to take hold .

It could be something like wax build up or from a virul infection or stress but the main thing is to get your ears and hearing checked and some support from tinnitus talk and maybe a ENT refurrel in time .

Just remember you are not alone and the support on here is around the clock so keep posting for support as you need it.
Tinnitus under 6 months roughly has every chance in going away but longer it could be more of a problem but there is help .
Try take it day by day till you have had your ears checked and talking therapy is good too with talking about the emotional side of tinnitus and how socially it can affect you and maybe your family and job .
Lots of love glynis

 

Welcome to the forum. You have our empathy. Like Glynis says, you are not alone here as most of us were where you are. We understand how you feel, the stress, the sense of hopelessness and fear about the future. In this initial phase of suffering, the brain is dealing with an alien sensation of T ringing. It is still trying to figure out T. Failing to remove T, it reacts in panic and extreme emotions and anxiety, panic, depression and sleeplessness take over. It is quite normal for grown adults to cry or sob for days initially. It is a natural way for the body to let go the extreme stress the body is subject to. I know of a moderator in another forum who cried often in the first 2 years but he is okay now to even become a mod for a support forum.

Always remember that time is a great healer for the body. You won't always think the same way about this T sensation like you are now. I didn't believe this at first when told about this but now I do. Currently your limbic nerves are dominant as you are signalling to them that T is a threat to you. So it zooms in on T and magnifies its suffering. You are functioning in fight or flight mode which makes all bad sensations much worse that they are.

During this phase, you will be bombarded with distorted thoughts, something they call cognitive distortions in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT. Two of these distortions are very common to new T sufferers, like ‘Catastrophic Thinking’ about the future (like saying my future is all bleak or I have no future), and also ‘All or Nothing Thinking’ (like saying life is not worth living with T, ignoring all other positive aspects of life). If we believe in these cognitive distortions, we will suffer mightily. But these are not realistic thinking. We need to counter these negative thoughts. Try to learn CBT and how to challenge these distorted thoughts and replace them with more realistic/positive ones. So learning some strategies such as CBT, mindfulness, positivity etc. will help.

One important ingredient of healing is just TIME. Time will help the body harden to the T sensation and your will feel better. It is like tasting spicy hot pepper for the first time and most people can't handle that bad sensation. I remember saying to myself how on earth people like this burning in their mouth. But given time, and not treating the burning sensation as a threat, the brain will slowly get used to the sensation. Eventually most spicy food lovers will get to the stage that the burning sensation will be neutral, or even a pleasurable sensation like what I find now.

We will never find T ringing pleasurable. But at least, over time the body can harden to T ringing and not react negatively like at the start. It is doable as you can find many examples of this if you read the success stories. I have written mine too after the initial struggle. If you have the time, check it out. Take care and God bless your recovery.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/from-darkness-to-light-how-i-recovered-from-tinnitus-hyperacusis.3148/

 

Thanks Billie & Glynnis...the words you have written offer me some hope...I will read up on the success stories and I certainly trying to be positive about this, ignoring it wherever possible. It is strange...when I do manage to not think about it...it tends to merge into the background...as soon as I bring it into my mind consciously I can hear it clear as anything...

I woke up this morning (currently 6.45am here) and not a sound...its like my brain resets over night....

Not sure if it will help anyone here...but it will help me so I want to post my journey with T as things develop...what helps...what makes it worse etc. I live near Nottingham in UK and want to find if there are any groups that I can go to and talk, as I find talking does help...trouble is my best friend also has Tinnitus and he has got used to his so I don't want to keep talking to him about it as he says when I talk to him, he can hear his as clear as anything....all other times, he manages to ignore it.

 

Hi @Rob Shepherd ,
Log on to the BTA websight and I'm sure you might find a support group in your area to attend.....lots of love glynis

 

Interesting you said you were moving. Maybe something occurred in you neck, spine and or back? I came down with it in my sleep. Have had it over a year. I am beginning to think it may be something to do with the above mentioned. Have had all the usual tests done. Nothing found. Sitting too long, being on the couch and computer chair always brings on the most intense noise for my T. Also waking up it is intense but eases up if I move around. Perhaps something to do with a kink in blood flow? I intend to have further test done not pertaining to my ears. For now, see if your T has any kind of a pattern. Many good posts on this site that will help. In the beginning I was on Lorazapan and listened to relaxing music. Watched what I ate. No sugar, caffeine, alcohol etc. We are all different.

 

Thanks for the replies...It does definitely have a pattern...Outside I can hardly hear it but indoors when Im sat watching the TV - thats when its seems to perk up. When I go to bed, for some reason it goes more into the background. I thought it was something to do with the actual room that the TV was in to start with, but not sure what.

 

Just joined the forum myself bud...and can totally relate to the feeling of "not being able to handle this".

My tinnitus has driven me bats**t crazy in the past, preying on my noodle like nothing else has, and making me feel I am going mad in the head at times.....And yeah , i have sobbed to myself about it too!!

Bottom line is you aren't going nuts dude.....You certainly aren't alone either, reading through peoples stories here is testament to that.

In time you will get to grips with it. And things will normalize enough for you to take it in your stride. You never know, there may be an underlying physical problem that will get resolved and the noise will go away.

That said, you should always keep in mind that it may not. There are plenty of things you can try to ease the noise and lots of information on here that can point you in the right direction to helping you deal with and climatise to it.

In honesty I wish i'd have found this place sooner. The fact you have made it here within a month of your symptoms appearing, puts you ahead of the game somewhat buddy, so try not to worry...worrying about something you cannot change imminently is the worst thing you can do. Best to try and get to a place where you are at ease with it.

Keep yourself busy and try to relax.

Thats the best advice i can give

 

@Rob Shepherd,
There is a Tinnitus Support Group in Nottingham.

I Emailed Dave from the BTA and this was his reply
Here’s the Nottingham Group details:


Meet on the second Thursday of every second month (ie even numbered months) from 17.30 - 19.00

Office support is provided through Self Help Nottingham, Ormiston House, 32-36 Pelham Street, Nottingham, NG1 2EG. Meeting venue is as below.

Nottingham Mechanics Institute
3 North Sherwood Street
Nottingham
NG1 4EZ

info@nottingham-tinnitus.org.uk

www.nottingham-tinnitus.org.uk


I’ve been trying to visit the group or get them to talk to me, but have heard little back so not sure if they are still meeting or not.


Best wishes


Dave
.....lots of love glynis BTA forum Mentor

 

Hi Rob,

When I first noticed my T back in January I was acting similar, I broke down several times etc. I can't give as much information as everyone else above has given you but in regards to habituation I never thought it would happen either and without even thinking about it 2-3 months later I started to notice that I wasn't actually actively hearing the T. The main thing that helped me is that I did whatever I had to do to distract me from the sound, be it walking outside in the early hours of the morning just to get my mind focused on something else.

One of the things that helped ease my mind was checking any medication I was on to see if a side effect was causing T, I also had several hearing tests done just to check my hearing. When these came back fine I felt that the situation was better knowing that it wasn't something I caused myself, if that makes any sense to you.

Cheers

 

Thanks again for all the notes of advice and help. I will drop a note to the Nottingham group and see if I can go along...time is indeed helping...trying to ignore the noise....and you're all right, when I forget about it as Im concentrating on something else, I almost don't hear it. If I can master that art for longer, this won't be too much of an issue.

Its early days yet so I guess it will take some time yet.

I am at the doctors next week so will update as to what he says too...

 

Considering that it started when you moved house - I would have your home mold tested. Black mold can cause tinnitus.