The Benefits of Tinnitus

Now some people might think I'm mad for asking but I'd love to know if tinnitus has had a positive impact on anyones life? (yes you read that correctly ^_^) I'm by no means saying tinnitus is a good thing, either will this apply to some people but another thread of positivity is never a bad thing right? The more the merrier!

My name is Jordan, I'm 25 & 'aquired' T just some days before my 24th birthday. Before this time I would have said I was very happy & believed I was very in tune with myself. After some time with the T however I realised just how conficted I was & that this inner calm I thought I had didn't exist.. until now.

Like most of you here I'm sure you'd agree that you miss the most simple things (Oh where art thou, sweetest of silence.. ) & the whole concept of 'not know what you've got until it's gone' really does apply here. You would do anything to go back, maybe do things differently. I couldn't agree more, however would you ever have had this much appreciation for the little things had you not have had T?

It's difficult to put in to words what I'm truely feeling as it's all subjective to a degree & may come across a little vague but it's almost as if I've found that missing piece, a certain 'enlightenment' if you will, almost spiritual. I'm much more aware of what is going on around me & take joy from the small things that I might have otherwise overlooked. I feel like I've fully got to know myself & have changed through this experience for the better.

I'll let my sadness become happiness & that way hope to find true peace of mind o/

 

Its good to see folks turn negatives in to positives but when it comes to the stage T that I have now the only positives I can come up with is that it has not snuffed me out yet. For me this holiday cheer time of year seems to spike it up a bit being around a lot of family and friends that don't have clue of the down side of what we have to go thru 24/7. Its always been hard for me to keep that good positive out look. If I didn't have such a strong loving wife it would be even more stressful to deal with the ever changing noises we have to deal with! She is my light in a dark tunnel!

 

@Kopesy

I've definetly heard similar stories like yours where people found some inner strength or peace they never knew existed.
In my case, unfortunately, nothing positive came out of this nightmare.
But it's always good to hear other people's successes so congrats!

 

I wish it was like most things in my life-whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Unfortunately tinnitus has weakened me in so many different ways. I guess I will keep searching for now...maybe one day.

 

I improved my English language skills by reading and posting in this forum.
But that's all. Maybe one day, tinnitus will be my friend. LOL.
Ah. And another thing: I fear death much less than without T. Sad, but reality.
Nevertheless, like Telis said: Maybe one day....we made it through this BS and are stronger than before.

 

I am living better in the sense that I don't let the small worries get to me. I pay attention to moments and my life has slowed down.

 

Nothing. Absolutely freaking zero Nada null #nothing

 

Telis I use to thrive on pushing my body right to the edge wether it was running marathons or lifting weights. I've had T now for 15 months haven't ran or lifted...... T has brought me to my knees and has changed my whole world around and now I need to figure out how to go forward with this monster.
Hang in there man

 

Not a single damn positive thing.

 

Not afraid of dying any more

 

The benefits of tinnitus?

Hmmm... let me see... oh yes, I have become an awful lot more knowledgeable on certain areas of medicine such as audiology, ototoxicity, potassium modulators, stem cells, and many, many more topics - which - I for sure had never anticipated or ever planned on.

I am also not afraid of dying - and even had the "opportunity" to test that fact in real life. Not sure, if that counts as a "benefit", however.

Additionally, I have learnt not to worry about unimportant matters; essentially, anything except "my house is on fire" falls into the "I don't care"-folder.

The last benefit is more of a projective one: if I were to become 100% cured, I would wake up - every day - feeling as if I had won the lottery. How about that...!

 

Well i have some positive side effects to tinnitus, i've stopped being lazy because if i do nothing i hear this stupid noise. I've also been a lot more into sports and healthy activities. By a lot, i mean an average of 20hours of sport a week when that's possible

 

Man I couldn't agree more with that statement.....I'm in my early 50's just hoping that by the time I retire (if I make it there) they'll be a cure or some copping meds

 

The only benefit is that i am unable to realax and my whisky bills have gone sky high.

 

Ok, so I guess there aren't really many benefits, I probably should have worded it a little different. After reading your replies & reading it back to myself I kind of get why nobody agrees with me ^_^ Don't get me wrong, my life has gone significantly down hill, I'm on antidepressants, extemely anti-social & find it really hard to motivate myself to do anything! If it wasn't for me having the most wonderful girlfriend I wouldn't know where I'd be. I'm just trying to scrape together something possitive from the mess Hopefully some of you get what I mean

 

I get what you mean.

 

We know what you mean. Sorry for the sarcasm in my post above.
Unfortunately most here suffer and have not much positive to report about their T.
If people no longer suffer, they are no longer here or much less.
I think that once you are habituated, there are things being more positive, T-related or unrelated.

 

@Martin69 , I love your avatar - does it symbolize a person with severe tinnitus ?

 

@dan
It's Dave Gahan from Depeche Mode in the video "Enjoy the SILENCE"
Ironically one of my favorite songs. So I hope one day I will enjoy silence again.

 

@Kopesy - I get what you mean and I think you have the right approach. This place would not be much use as a support forum if all we do is tell each other how much we hate tinnitus. The alternative is to try to think about the condition in a positive way. We all know that isn't easy and there are times when we all succumb to negative thoughts. I try to think of my T as my built-in stress-o-meter. When T gets loud, that tells me that I am stressed out and need to relax. Ultimately, we are trying to convince ourselves that the T has a positive aspect. Maybe we are kidding ourselves but it's a worthwhile form of self-deception because (for the moment, at least) we have no other choice.

 

I completely understand where you are coming from. My initial reaction to tinnitus was to book myself 4 personal training sessions, because I realised that a) you cannot take any aspect of your health for granted and b) if i could get fit, lose weight etc then my life in theory could be better in most ways than it was pre tinnitus. i got tinnitus because i lost all of the hearing in my left ear in july, possibly due to a virus so ive had hyperacusis as well which to be honest has been more annoying than the tinnitus. i'm also getting to grips with 50% of hearing, so there is always someone worse off! you are lucky to have a good girlfriend make sure you treat her well! : )

 

Thanks man...me too. The last few years I have been into bodybuilding making small gains every year with a massive amount of hard work in the gym. I was finally getting to the point where I was really proud and could see all the years of work kind of snowballing. I lost it all in a couple of months of having tinnitus....around 50 pounds of muscle stolen from me. I realize it's not the biggest thing in the world to be jacked and strong as hell, but when you can see all your hard work disappear as a direct result of T it is more than upsetting and very tough to get over. Some people don't see it this way but they also weren't with me 5 days a week doing torturous work outs for all those years.

 

@Martin69

How's this for irony...my company's name was Now Hear This.
i shoulda known.

 

well my t is form allergies so im thankful that ive learn so much with my T i know in time ans with my allergy shot it will go away ive learn not to ever listen to music loud go to concert movies or any loud area the positive that ive learn is to continue to live your life to the fullest never give up on your dream while still dealing with T

 

Is there a possibility that your t is caused by some pressure or damage due to weight lifting?
Just a thought!

 

Yeah it was good call. I blocked my ear weight lifting and tried to clear it obsessively with the Valsalva method until my ears rang! Then I put antibiotic ear drops in and loud tinnitus for life!

 

OK, I'm nuts. My T is bad. But it's a powerful motivator. For over 40 years it's pushed me around, and I make it push me in the right direction. The banjo I'm holding in my picture is a very old relic that I make and sell worldwide. I got into playing and making them simply because I cannot, sadly, play my steel string banjo anymore. These older types have nylon strings, still plenty loud, but not harsh and harmful to my hearing. This is one of the many good things T has done for me.

 

It is interesting how a few negative seeds take root and grow vigorously in this "positivity" thread? It is very easy to fall into the negative and cascade down sucking the life out everything around you. We are all suffering. Self pity gets you nowhere. Can we stick with the positive please?

I come here in my not-so-great moments to remind myself that others have this condition and are determined to move on with their lives. I personally draw a lot of strenght from this thread. The creativity and open mindedness to change that others offer is an inspiration. The best definition of intelligence I have read is "the capacity to adapt". We are species that can inhabit any environmental condition because we find ways to adapt.

Movies: I went to the Imax after an absence of a year. Saw a 3 hour movie and had my earplugs in and out continually. In Australia I have recently discovered that "big" movies are played ear splittingly loud. I dont get it. Not an enjoyable experience. But basically a crappy movie - bad reviews - and I was ambivalent about seeing it. A week before I saw 2 lower budget and very entertaining films in a small independent cinema - you guessed it - no need for earplugs. Although I felt angry that this Imax movie was so loud and I wasted my cash seeing it, I came to the conclusion that I would not see movies I was not interested in anymore. End of story. Conclusion made for a richer intellectual life. I wont even bother with the "blockbuster" genre anymore - at least not in a cinema.

I have a second theatre performance in 2 weeks. Had I not developed tinnitus I would not have gone back to theatre. I thought 50 was too old to start a creative life and career. I got it wrong. I may not be "great" but I intend to maintain living with more enthusiasm than I have been. Like you I would rather not have tinnitus but there has been a pay off - now I get the care and appropriate attention I deserve rather than helping others hoping they will reciprocate. My work as a psychologist has changed - I have little time for those on government funded programs who refuse to change their lives even though they have access to help (here in Australia, you get a government hand out for anything). Now you get 3 sessions with me and if you have not made any efforts by the third I "let you go". It is a good thing to finally say to someone "I can't help you". This is better than a week of drowning in helplessness and self pity. Excuse what appears to be cynicism and a lack of empathy but those of you in the helping professions will understand.

My Neuromonics continues to help me habituate to the tinnitus and I keep my eye on the drug therapies that are being developed. Meanwhile I have paid up my acting class fees for next year.

Strength to you all especially in the down times my friends. David

 

I would say something like this

 

That's a good thing???To say "I can't help you" To be able to give up on your patients that quickly? I can't help you, next please?

If I gave up this fast on my struggles with T and H this easily I would have been dead long ago.