Need Some Support

I've had tinnitus for as long as I can remember. I'm a musician and I'm sure it's due to years of exposure to loud music. It's never bothered me, EVER. But for some reason about a week a go I felt like it got louder. I felt my ear slowly closing up and the tinnitus became louder. Again, this really didn't bother me until I decided to Google about it (something I had never done) and I read about all the horror stories and suicide attempts and it freaked me out. I've always been known to sleep the with TV on so I've never really had issues sleeping. Even in quiet rooms. I'm sure it's because my mind got used to the noise and I just never noticed it. I use to have really bad panic attacks and was on prozac (10mg) for a couple of years a while back for something unrelated. I got back on it last month (again due to something unrelated/same dosage) and it's been ok, definitely helped. Lately I've been reading more and more first hand accounts with people who've had it forever too and it sort of made me panic. Yesterday I had been drinking somewhat heavily and I woke up in the middle of the night to nothing but my tinnitus and it completely threw me in a downward spiral. I had thoughts of having to live with this for the rest of my life, possible hearing loss, I felt like I was going crazy. I was on the edge of a full blown panic attack, something I hadn't experienced in a LONG time.

Now I've been on edge all day even though I took my medication. For those of you who've had/have anxiety you probably know the feeling I'm talking about. The thing I don't understand is why is my mind freaking out about this now? I know my brain can go back to having it in a "habitual" state and I know that my anxiety is just making it worse but I keep letting thoughts about it leak into my head. The tinnitus pitch isn't always loud, it sometimes goes back to being where it's not really bothering me but it seems like the more I think about it, the more it bothers me. I know I have to go back to relaxing for my brain to realize that this needs to go back on the back burner.

I just hate that I sort of did this to my self by Googling.

What should I do?

 

@Anphonic You have managed all this time with T so you will manage in the future. Look for some therapy perhaps, spend time with friends and family who are there for you, go for a day out somewhere. Eventually it will get better again (speaking from experience) .

 

I hope so, I know so. It's just the waiting that's the hard part.

 

Does anyone ever have any issues of it falling in and out of habitualness?

 

PS, I am 27 if that matters.

 

Anyone?

 

:-(

 

@Anphonic I hope things are better for you this week.

 

Tinnitus can be hard to cope with at times and the unwanted emotions that come with it are just as hard.
Learning to cope with tinnitus depends on how you react to it like your mood /depression,nerves/anxiety,confidence /self worth,support by family and doctor.
The better we feel in ourselves helps us deal better with tinnitus.
Socially getting out and about and keeping earplugs handy and doing what we love and staying upbeat plays a big part in coping with tinnitus as if we let it tinnitus can really bring you down...... don't let tinnitus take away your smile and laughter.....lots of love glynis