Need Coping Mechanisms. One Week Into This.

One week in, and I've about had it with cicada mating calls and ticking time bombs. Help. I know what it is, and I suspect an 8 yr. old fungal infection which wiped out much of my hearing and left me with chronic infections, is somehow related to this. MRI's, etc. are happening, but I kinda know that this is my brain for now and probably always. How does one integrate the buzzing and dripping sound that occur almost 24/7 into a livable life. Will it gradually just become the proverbial "background noise", or will I always panic every time it starts? How can I live with this?

 

Welcome Jojola. Don't panic and don't despair. Better days are ahead. But your reaction is quite normal in this initial phase of T. We understand what you are going through as we have been where you are and many of us have recovered and now living a normal life. Don’t worry and give it time. Time will definitely be on your side. Your tinnitus being so new, your body and your nerve are a bit overwhelmed now with the new stimulus. The trauma of T is causing your brain to function under the limbic system of fright or fight. Your brain will have many distorted thoughts about the future, called cognitive distortions.

But you will not always think nor react the same way in a few months, a year or two from now. Why? A few years back I was overwhelmed with ultra high pitched loud T. Worse I was also attacked soon after by severe hyperacusis. All normal sounds turned glassy in quality, and were piercingly hurtful to my senses as if being drilled constantly. I had to wear earplugs all the time, but the plugs blocked off all outside masking sounds, making the harsh T shrill so dominant and unbearable. I had to choose the lesser of two evils and there was no lesser choice between T & H. The brain saw no way out and it caved into relentless panic attacks, being that I was a panic prone person before T & H. So besides the horror of T & H, I also had to face the terrible symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks all day. I had to depend on meds just to survive each long, dark day.

I thought I would never recover from such 'hell' of a life. But never say never. I am here back to normal today, living an absolutely enjoyable and productive life. I even travel often after T, even taking long flights and went on cruises. I went back to enjoy all that I used to enjoy. Life is beautiful now. If I had known that time and a positive attitude plus some CBT strategies would turn my sufferings around, I would not have spent so much time in total misery and trauma during the initial phase of T and worried so much about the future. So hang in there. Don't despair. You will be just fine. Give yourself enough time for the body to absorb in the new sensation. I encourage you to read up all the success stories to give yourself some hope and comfort about the future. You will learn some valuable collective wisdom, insight and effective strategies how to triumph over T from the posters. So be positive, relax and have a bright hope for the future. Take care. God bless your recovery.

So read up the success stories to give you hope for the future. Here are some for example including mine:

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...w-i-recovered-from-tinnitus-hyperacusis.3148/

This is the most read success story 'back to silence':
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/back-to-silence.7172/

Inspiring story from a lady member with very loud T
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/6-months-tinnitus-still-going-strong-but-so-am-i.3226/

Finally here is William Shatner & David Letterman talking about their 7/24 T with a sense of humor. I had a great laugh watching it and I learned to relax about my T knowing that life goes on for people, even celebrities with bad T 7/24:

David Letterman with William Shatner - March,...

 

Also, masking is a big help during the beginning. If you don't know how to do it, you can download a free sound generator 'aire freshener'. Also TT has a selection of masking tracks with good advice and tips for new T sufferers. Also a sound machine like those from Homedics or Sharper Image can be used at bed time. I also have an ipod loaded with nature sounds (using itune) to mask on the go. That was important for me to have some masking all the time during my toughest time. Take care & God bless your recovery:

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

 

@billie48 do you still have to take meds ? If not best did you do to cope with the t&h. I in new to the screeching piercing t a d could have settings both of these posts.
I can't see a way that I can ever sleep with this new sound. It's unmaskable.
Do you still have the shrill t and what did you take for meds when you got it?
.

 

@jojola after three days of complete dispair is was like "ok this is not going away just because i hate it! so why dont imagine this as my new silence?" and so far it worked i just always tell myself "this is what silence sounds like!" and for me the noise has gotten rly rly low when im not in a completely silent environment where the only thing i can concentrate on is seperating the t from my imagined silence! i know people will now say you need some serious discipline to do this and that for some people its not as easy as it sounds but seriously its all in your mindset! i wish you good luck

 

I noticed today 7 days into this, that at the loud, busy supermarket, I hardly noticed it. It's the quiet times when no tv, music or electronics are happening. I really need to get my brain adjusted to the quiet zones. Very frustrating.

 

Thank you Billy for your lovely post. I'm gonna hang in there. I realize that it's about acclimation and healthy living. As they say in AA one day at a time.

 

@billie48 I just wanted to say what an inspirational post! I also new to PT and am struggling so much, I found your post incredibly inspiring that it does get better! Thank you for that! Also from the Vancouver, Canada area so it's comforting to know there are people everywhere in the same boat.

 

No, I don't take meds for T nor H any more. H has faded over time. T is still the super shrill like before but it doesn't turn me into a mess like before. I know it is hard to sleep for T sufferer when T is new (within the first year). During the toughest time, I had to depend on Ativan, Prozac and sleeping meds to survive. For detail of my struggle and success story, please read up my story in the link provided in my earlier post.

 

Hi Danielle, thanks for the kind words. It is nice to meet another Vancouverite. Yes, people do get better with T, PT & H over time. Your T is so new. It is understandable to struggle with these alien sensations initially. But generally, given time, after learning and applying some strategies from successful members, people do get better over time. For PT, the best is to post your condition in the PT support forum. Karen is a PT veteran and she will be able to answer some of your concerns. Hang in there and stay positive. There is the Positivity Thread also to help members to feel more positive about their life with T.