Should I Quit My Job? And Other Questions.

Hi, my name is Robert. I have tinnitus and have noticed it in varying degrees since my childhood. In the last few years it has caused suffering. Sometimes I feel like I have to choose between living a life that means something to me or coddling my ears constantly to avoid sound that is too loud. Let me explain more. I have manic depression and clinical OCD and have been hospitalized 3 times in the last 3 years. I am on my feet again and the best relief I get from this is music. And dancing. Tunes can provide a special kind of relief from dysphoria. I feel most alive when I dance. I like to dance at clubs and parties just to do it; I don't even drink; I do it for my survival. I wear proper ear protection now when I am around loud music but I'm not sure that's enough. So, I am back on my feet and have worked to reach the place where I can hold down a job. I work at BestBuy, and I like it. It gives me structure and what I need to move ahead further. I work in home entertainment (t.v.'s loud speaker systems, etc.). I know it is a stupid choice if you have tinnitus. I didn't think about it enough at the beginning but now I've just completed a month of training. It was already too loud, but now an obnoxiously noisy soundbar has been set up. I don't know what to do. I have considered wearing ear protection at work, but it is very difficult. I am struggling every day to not be overcome by paranoia and anxiety at the supermarket let alone having to wear a pair of ear plugs out of nowhere around my new work crew. Would they even be enough? Is working here untenable for a tinnitus sufferer? And what about my music? What CAN I do in all of this? Sincerely, thank you for your help.

 

hi robert,
my name is kevin and i have tinnitus and work in a loud factory in which i wear protective earmuffs,if you do feel the need for earplugs , do not worry,most co-workers understand, do what you have to do,good luck !

 

Robert,
Sounds to me like you are happy where your at (Best buy). Why give it up? If it gives you structure and you enjoy it, stay. I would not concern myself about what others think, you should just wear ear plugs if you want to. Do what brings you happiness, it can keep you in a better state of mind. Keep dancing and enjoying music, it sounds like your doing the right things for protection, if your not sure it's enough I'm sure someone here can give you advice on that. And if you can find joy in your life go for it.

 

Hey Robert,

Welcome to the Forum. I think a guy that's got his feet on the ground, and likes to dance may do very well in life.
Find a woman who likes to dance, get married, dance the night away and live happily ever after. Seriously, stick with your positive things that work for you. If the job doesn't work, maybe there will be another choice. Sorry to hear about the other health issues. I can't say much, don't really know what to say, work with your doctor. I wish you well, Low Tinnitus and peace. Keep on dancing. Welcome to a great forum.

 

Don't quit your job. That's a bad idea. It is up to your employer to provide you with a safe work place. They can provide you ear plugs and you can certainly wear them while you are testing sound equipment. I would be impressed if I saw a guy in the sound departments wearing some ear plugs. I have seen countless people working in those places blasting music away, and wearing no protection. The same goes for bars... it has always confused me how being in a bar one night can aggravate my tinnitus so (if I don't wear protection) yet bartenders are in there on a nightly basis with no protection.

Sorry for rambling. Don't quit your job and wear the plugs. You'll find that nobody is going to care (we aren't as big of a deal to the rest of people as we would like to think we are sometimes! lol).

 

Hudson' got a great point. You could tell your boss the customers don't like loud blaring music either, at least I wouldn't. How can one judge a sound system when some teenager got it blaring right behind you.

 

As the others said. Don't quit you job. It gives you much more than an income. Also, discretely you can tell your boss you heard a customer complaint of the noise volume of the place. From time to time. Later you may suggest tuning down a little the volume.

 

Let me chime in with the others: I would keep working unless you absolutely can't bear it. Distraction is critical when combating tinnitus and work provides that distraction. Early on, I seriously considered going on short-term disability; all my therapists and doctors advised against. Even my psychiatrist, who was willing to do the disability paperwork if I asked, said: "Then it will be just you, your anxiety and your ringing ears keeping you company all day."

Of course, I respect that some people truly can't continue work, or work jobs in environments that are unsuitable for someone with tinnitus. There are other options for those folks, like switching careers or getting involved in quiet activities outside the home. But if you like the job, I would stick with it. Quitting also would feed into fear, which is not good for your OCD.

As for ear plugs: No one will care. And if you are self-conscious about it, buy a pair of clear molded plugs. I have a set and most people don't even notice them until I pop them out after the noise dies down.

Hang in there and keep dancing!

 

Thank you for your warm welcome. I might have said things too strongly. I was trying to explain my confusion and frustration from being at the intersection of all of these things. Thank you all for your insights, they have helped. Thank you James for your on your feet on the ground and dancing joke, as well as your life advice. Thanks all for the encouragement.

 

Good luck to you, Robert.

I think you'll be happier if you can work and juggle tinnitus at the same time. Medical science will find a way to treat us, eventually.

 

Get custom made ear plugs in silicone. Try 9 or 15 dB filters. And then take one day at a time, so to speak. ABSOLUTLEY wear plugs!

 

Hi Robert, nice to hear from you. I think you should keep on doing what gives you the stability you treasure, wearing plugs at Best Buy should both look and feel very appropriate - it shows you are taking the job serious. If you enjoy where your at in life right now I wouldn't change anything. Protecting you ears shouldn't be an issue of T or not as it's the proper thing to do anyways.

 

You should file a complain with OSHA (the Occupational Safety and Health Administration). This will cause an inspection, the inspector will interview the employees privately if he deems it necessary. He won't disclose who filed the complain.

85 db is a restaurant or standing near a road with traffic. Beyond 90db the employee (best buy) is required to offer ear protection. If you work with the kind of loudspeakers that make your internal organs vibrate, you are way above that. See Occupational noise exposure. - 1910.95

Also, buy custom earplugs.