Struggling with Tinnitus, Hyperacusis, and Anxiety as a Young Adult: Any Advice?

[RestlessNights]

Hi, I'm a new user here and I really need some help and advice.

I've been struggling with tinnitus since I was 14 years old, caused by blasting loud music through my earphones almost all the time, partly because of maladaptive daydreaming.

At first it was very mild and I managed to habituate quickly. I was uneducated about tinnitus and its consequences, so I acted recklessly after my first onset and continued blasting music and going to loud events.

I did try to consult ENTs. The first one told me everything was fine, and so did the second. I believed them.

A few months ago, I was exposed to a loud sound. One morning I noticed my tinnitus had become louder, and since then I've been aware of it constantly. Before, I could easily mask it with a fan or the TV, but now I feel like I hear it everywhere.

That triggered severe anxiety. I couldn't eat, sleep, or think straight, and I had very dark thoughts—something I'd never experienced before, as I had always been mentally stable.

On top of that, everyday sounds began to feel extremely loud—traffic, chairs, doors, even my parents arguing. When I searched online, I came across the word "hyperacusis," which I had never heard of before. Learning about it made me even more anxious and hypervigilant.

To stop the downward spiral in my head and to allow myself to sleep and eat again, I went to the hospital. The doctor prescribed me a benzodiazepine, Bromazepam. I had never taken any medications in my life aside from paracetamol and syrup, but it really helped calm my nervous system.

A few days ago, I had another appointment with my ENT. I described all my symptoms, did an audiogram, and once again everything looked fine. For the tinnitus, he still prescribed me some pills, and for the anxiety he prescribed Prazepam.

I stopped taking benzodiazepines. I used Bromazepam for a few days and then occasionally, and it really helped. I took Alprazolam once, which also helped during a severe crisis. I never touched the Prazepam.

It doesn't feel like the tinnitus spike has calmed down, but rather that my brain has settled somewhat. What stresses me the most is that it feels reactive to sounds. For example, when I turn on my fan, I sometimes hear the tinnitus over the white noise, which wasn't the case before.

Now I can sleep—although it takes a long time, and I need to be completely isolated for my brain to relax—and I can eat normally again. I'm also able to focus on other things most of the day, like gaming, cooking, walking, cleaning, or watching TV.

But soon I'll have to move out of my parents' house again and return to my loud city to continue my studies. Honestly, I'm very scared and don't know what to do. Some people told me to expose myself to the sounds I dislike and force my brain to adapt, but I'm not sure if that's the right approach.

Please be kind. I'm very sensitive and tend to overthink everything too much.

Thanks.

 

[kingsfan]

Get yourself some custom-molded earplugs from ACS Custom to help with loud city noise.

For noisy streets, I'd recommend the Total Block Standard Clear plugs, since they provide higher attenuation than the other designs. If lectures are uncomfortably loud, you might want filtered ones instead: Pro20 or Pro27 are solid choices, and if those feel too strong, the Pro15 may suit you better.

You'll need to have impressions taken by an audiologist. Instructions for sending impressions are in the FAQ here, but in most cases, the audiologist will handle this for you.

It's also good that you've only been taking benzos intermittently. Using them once a week when you really need a break should keep you safe from dependency, which can have very nasty withdrawal effects.

 

[RestlessNights]

Get yourself some custom-molded earplugs from ACS Custom to help with loud city noise.

For noisy streets, I'd recommend the Total Block Standard Clear plugs, since they provide higher attenuation than the other designs. If lectures are uncomfortably loud, you might want filtered ones instead: Pro20 or Pro27 are solid choices, and if those feel too strong, the Pro15 may suit you better.

You'll need to have impressions taken by an audiologist. Instructions for sending impressions are in the FAQ here, but in most cases, the audiologist will handle this for you.

It's also good that you've only been taking benzos intermittently. Using them once a week when you really need a break should keep you safe from dependency, which can have very nasty withdrawal effects.

Thank you so much for the detailed advice, I really appreciate it! Until now, I've been using industrial foam plugs whenever I go outside, and sometimes even earmuffs. I'll definitely go see an audiologist for custom-made plugs!

Do you think that when I go back to the city, being exposed to everyday sounds like traffic (which trigger my reactivity and H) could actually cause permanent damage or worsening? Or should I mainly focus on protecting myself only when it really seems necessary?

 

[momus]

For example, when I turn on my fan, I sometimes hear the tinnitus over the white noise,

Yes, that's not uncommon, and I get it too even after having tinnitus for over 30 years. It's also normal for tinnitus to go up, down, and even almost go away temporarily. That can give you a little breathing room just knowing that a spike is not permanent. Mine can be aggravated by certain noises or sounds too, but it always goes back to baseline, at least so far.

When it happens with a fan, which is normally a pleasant sound for me, it means I need to move the fan further away. Everyone has their favorite white or pink noises, and I have a small sound machine by my bed with eight or ten different sounds. If we turn masking sounds up too high, it can backfire as you described. Just experiment with placement to find the optimum distance it should be from you.

When I was cat sitting three years ago, the host had one of those small circular water containers for the cats that kept a steady stream of water running. I loved that sound.

 

[Vincent R]

Now I can sleep—although it takes a long time, and I need to be completely isolated for my brain to relax—and I can eat normally again. I'm also able to focus on other things most of the day, like gaming, cooking, walking, cleaning, or watching TV.

But soon I'll have to move out of my parents' house again and return to my loud city to continue my studies. Honestly, I'm very scared and don't know what to do. Some people told me to expose myself to the sounds I dislike and force my brain to adapt, but I'm not sure if that's the right approach.

Your tinnitus can certainly get worse if you push yourself. Whenever you find yourself wondering, "Should I wear earplugs when…," my advice is to use them. Not only do they protect you from everyday noise, but they also protect against loud surprise noises such as ambulance sirens, fire alarms triggered by cigarette smoke, or kids playing with fireworks.

Even though you are young, the social stress should be manageable if you use the kind of filtered earplugs Kingsfans suggests. They won't even be visible beneath your hair.

You also shouldn't go to very loud events, concerts, and similar places, even if you use hearing protection.