Please Provide Perspective on Tinnitus Spiking Easily — Pivotal Job Decision

Thank you. Likewise I'm sorry you have also joined this club none of us ever asked to become part of. What did you decide in the end?

 

I decided not to move forward with the position. It might be possible with lots of suffering but the answer to my problems right now is not more money.

 

Deep down, I think you always knew this.

 

I will regret not being able to do it, but not my decision to recognize my suffering and prioritize my health; the opportunity was taken from me, in the end it was hardly a choice at all.

 

For what it's worth, here's what happened to me. I fought tooth and nail for the job I wanted -- with chronic illness. I ended up getting it, bought a house, and was ready to start. My chronic illness flared up and spread to my inner ears, giving me severe, disabling hyperacusis. I had to suspend starting my job.

Flash forward 3 months and I was experiencing an upswing (still had severe hyperacusis though). I met with my employer (who totally understood my position) and they gave me the choice between not working and working part-time.

The old me, the one that was ambitious, wanted me to take the part-time work in hopes of keeping my job. The rational me knew that my situation was highly unstable. I went with not working.

Sure enough, within a few weeks, my disease increased again, validating my decision. From the sounds of it, you do not appear to be in a position to seek out a major promotion at work. It's frustrating though because the old you wanted it so bad. It sucks -- it's like admitting to yourself how bad things really are.

Then again, you appear to have money, and thanks to my wife, I do too. We are lucky that this is a pride issue and not a "go hungry" issue.

 

Respectfully, isn't that almost every job in the world, though?

 

I'm sorry to hear something similar happened to you, though I could infer based on your condition it must have been and remains "tough" (haha, what an understatement). I have savings but it is primarily a factor of living at home - I'm not well equipped right now to live independently in a high cost of living city, which this role would have afforded me. So for the present although it is not a question of hunger, as with all of us, I've still got pretty big problems.

 

Sorry it came to this.

Specific opportunities aside, I hope that in time, your health is such that you feel ready for a big job again.

 

Take the job lmao. I don’t want to put this the wrong way, but I have the most fearful job here, working in a bike shop is the scariest thing when you have tinnitus. Any random moment, boom! You just hear the mechanic go ooops I blew up another tire. Lmao I’m literally screwed because I have been working here my whole life and plan to take it over because it’s my parents’ company. If I wore earplugs, I couldn’t hear the customers and they would get upset. At least nobody here has to deal with random shotgun blasts at any moment, it’s horrible.

Tomorrow when I go back to work I’m wearing hearing protection. I don’t care anymore. Your ears are the most important thing. So unless you are in a bike shop, using crazy noisy power tools, a cop, or a shooting instructor, take the job.

 

I already turned it down.

 

A lot of people in this thread are conflating tinnitus and hyperacusis. Working with hyperacusis is a different beast entirely to working with (non-reactive) tinnitus.

 

Ya, if my tinnitus didn’t react to things I’d probably not even be on this site to be honest. I’d just put on music or an air purifier and call it a day.

 

@GBB, did you start the job? Please give us an update!