New Member Saying Hello and Hoping to Offer Some Support As Well

Hello everyone. I am have been lurking around the boards since I figured out I have Tinnitus. I am new to ringing but not new to health anxiety and all the wonderful friends it comes with . I don't know exactly when I started with T. Sometime in January I think. I had a bad cold and I also listened to some loud music during the New Year but yet I just can't pinpoint and really it does not matter since it is here. I don't think I have a tumor or hearing loss nor do I want to be that person who would imagine such a scenario in order to find "a cause" if that makes sense. I just remember one day noticing a new sound when I tried to sleep and I shrugged it off as one of the many electronic devices humming through my home. When I realized the sound was not coming from the lamp, refrigerator or computer and was in my head I panicked which as you all know makes the T worse. After a visit with my primary care doctor she saw nothing wrong with my ear drums and sent me home with nasal spray (starts with a F and I am too lazy to go to my bathroom to look it up now) and said that if it did not get better with time THEN she would send me to an ENT.

So I did what most of you did. I searched the NET. I bought vitamins. I tried to figure out the pitch. I discovered I can make it go away for about 20 seconds by listening to the same pitch. I was about to buy a fan too. I didn't know how many people slept with a fan on and most of these people don't have T. It was a very interesting discovery. Right before I placed my order to Walmart for a fan I stopped myself and remembered my lessons learned from my past health anxiety. The more attention you bring to the feeling, the bigger it gets. My T does not need a fan. My body needs my mind to be a peace, to accept the truth and to hope for a cure. So with the help of Melatonin (which I don't plan on purchasing after I finish this bottle) I sleep without any masking. I hear it but I don't make it the focus of my sleep. My focus is to get comfy, make sure the blankets cover down to my toes, close my eyes and send happy feelings to my ringing head.

The other thing that has helped was reading Dr. Nagler's post about obstacles. He is so right on. The important thing is not to talk about it. T is difficult but so are a lot of other conditions and people learn to accept and adapt in order to live. His other point about NOT looking on the forums is key too. Although forums like this are helpful in answering questions at the initial part, it can become a place where the "camaraderie is addicting." Also, constantly feeding your mind with T in addition to living with it is not healthy and is not the way I want to live. I have been there and I know.

I know it may sound like my T is low or not bothersome. I don't want to compare my T to yours. Believe me I have it. In the day and in the night but since I accepted it I can tell you it has made living with it much more easier and peaceful. Why do you want to fight with yourself? There again we are placing more attention to something we have no control of. I want to focus on what I do have control of and the joys of life that are waiting.

I posted here in the hopes that something that helped me may help one of you. I also post to thank Dr. Nagler for his great post on "Overcoming Obstacles to Habituation." I don't plan to come back and I don't plan on going to the ENT. To go through a process I know will lead to nothing more than co-pays and offer no cure seems like a waste of time. Better to tell the doctor to have her nurse call me when there is a cure.

So since most people post videos of sounds or celebs with T, I am posting a video that has helped me not just with T but with any pain or feeling that comes up in life that stresses us. You can replace the word "Depression" with "T" I think. I truly wish the best for everyone here and thank you for sharing your stories. I hope my post does not sound like I am diminishing anyone's T, pain or history. I just want to offer my story and support in hopes that it may help someone. Thank you, S

What is Depression? Video Snippets

 

Welcome Sunshine. What a wonderful poster name. It feels great to read your post. Thanks for willing to share and help out others by sharing this video. I don't know the speaker, but he is talking about mindfulness how one can create the space or openness to allow our feeling and sensation to be there without judgement, without painful resistance. This approach will take away the destruction that fear and negative emotions to have on our mental health. It works miracle to even my anxiety disorder. Thanks again for sharing your thought & experience here.