The Positivity Thread

It seems like with every positive comment I find 3 negative comments. While reading the same thread I can go from feeling a bit better to feeling even worse than I did prior to reading.

Let's make this thread one that ONLY has positive comments/stories/helpful things.

 

Thanks Demi!!! I am all over this thread! I have been on a great run ever since the first of the year! 2013 SUCKED!! My first full year with T. BUT.... I am stoked for 2014! I have really habituated and am living a life of purpose and joy! Ears still a ringing, but I am determined to not let it win or control my life! I am also SUPER thankful for TT and all of you!! It has been so therapeutic to get on TT and chat and get support/give support and get super valuable info.

POSITIVE!!!

 

Great idea. I've actually had to start limiting what I read on here because a negative comment can really set me up for a bad day unfortunately.

 

I think a permanent positive thread is a good idea. Thanks, @demi.

 

I am one of those who strongly believe that being positive will help us habituate to tinnitus faster. A few years back I was in total darkness of daily tinnitus suffering. I have ultra high pitch and loud tinnitus which was soon followed by piercingly hurtful hyperacusis. These two alien beasts literally overwhelmed my senses and my nerves were stretched to the breaking point. I also suffer decades of anxiety and panic disorders prior to T & H. So these two alien beasts just opened the flood gate of hell of relentless anxiety and panic attacks on auto mode. Each day was a long dark days of sufferings from these 'torturous' new masters of my life. I was obsessed with T and was constantly monitoring it. I was scared and desperate. I had to depend on meds like Ativan, Prozac and sleeping pills just to survive. I cut off all social contacts. I withdrew from things I used to enjoy doing. Life was bleak, lonely and very often the big 'S' word was dangling in front of this tired and stressed out mind as it saw no way out. I thought me and my good life would end soon. Things just couldn't be any worse.

That was then. But today I am back to normal, living a full, normal, productive and enjoyable life, free from the darkness and tyranny of this tinnitus bully and also drug free. My hyercausis has long faded when I took off the ear plugs for normal sounds. Tinnitus still rings but my brain has gotten used to and hardened to the sound. It doesn't bother me or scared me like before. As I am typing on the subject of tinnitus, it is brought to the forth front of conscious. I can hear it screaming with its ultra high pitch. The same sound used to overwhelm me and my nerves. No longer. I have lost the fear for it and don't give a dime. It is now just a paper tiger.

Today I can truly feel and breathe & see the beauty around me - fresh air, blue sky, green trees, lovely flowers, sweet faces of family and friends, lovely children and all that beauty of nature the Almighty has bestowed so generously for us mortals to enjoy. I can go dancing, singing, gardening, fishing, playing guitar, travelling, hiking, camping, eating out, watching cinema movies, even volunteering for church and charitable functions such as collecting foods for the our local food bank, etc. etc. I don't let this tinnitus bully take any fun and meaning away from my life. My new motto is living life abundantly to compensate for tinnitus and its suffering (if any). When one can do that, tinnitus will be like a paper tiger. It can still rings loud, but it has lost its power to scare you and rob you of your life. More often T just got faded out by the brain from consciousness when it no longer perceives T as a threat. It sounds amazing but it is possible even for loud T.

So never say never. The good life can be back. Give it time. T may just disappear or fade. Even if it doesn't, good life is still possible. I have learned to accept and flow with life's ups and downs, even my loud tinnitus, by willing to coexist peacefully with T, without all the emotional and negative reactions. This in turn allows the brain to habituate to T. It can be done. Believe it and have a bright hope for your future. If an anxiety and panic prone person like me can do it, have faith that you can too.

 

My struggle with noise-induced T started a year ago, and after about 7 months I was feeling 95% back to myself, and T was low and didn't bother me anymore. Knowing that it got so much better before, I am hanging onto that hope for my recent spike (November 29 2013)+(January 8 2014), THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE!

I am so much more positive than I was even just a few days ago thanks to everyone here at TT. <3

 

Stoked for you Demi!! There IS always hope! Really glad to hear you are doing better and have a positive attitude! That means so much in dealing with T! Proud of you!

 

My positivity today - it's a beautiful sunny day but last night was lovely and cool - we slept with the bedroom windows open and there must have been a frog outside in/on the drainpipe ... The perfect (and natural!) tinnitus masker!

Was lovely to go to sleep listening to that rather than the T

 

YEAH Amelia!!!! Keep it up!! Love the "natural tinnitus masker"!! Might have to go get me a frog!! Have a great POSITIVE weekend!!!

 

My positive thought for today - look around and see all the good things in your life and treat yourself well. I just had a slice of chocolate cake, green tea, and put on my new memory foam leopard slippers, my gift to myself today. I know things will get better, they have already.

 

Thanks Demi for this thread! I've felt exactly the same and been meaning to do something like this, just didn't know how to put it
Today I brunched with my uncle, his lovely woman and their baby. The café was filled with speakers players jazzy music, which wasn't loud or anything and even as I was really anxious, it was a great experience. They gave me a gift of 5 old spiderman magazines to take my mind things This evening I watched Final Fantasy and as of late I've been doing a lot of digital drawing, both of which inspired me into hearing hisses of (t) phantoms, and other magical spells Wauw I come off slightly psychotic lol, but really, sometimes I've almost liked the sounds of chakra and my infinite mana ressources

 

Awesome post Billie48!

 

This is a little off topic but I still want to share it: i got an A in an extremely difficult exam! Seems that the brain is working fine even with T

 

More than that, I truly believe that studying can help you habituate sooner. Stimulating the brain, creating new neuron connection, all that stuff.
Before getting T I was trying to learn two foreign languages, but the depression and anxiety prevented me from doing that. Now I want to start again.

And sharing my bit of positivity, my wife came back from her training, I'm no longer alone, and being home is not a torture of silence anymore!

 

Congrats @Stina !!!

 

Great job, Stina. Congrats. It seems that way with T & studies (as long as we don't worry about T too much).

 

Why is this thread given so little attention? It should be one of the most highly posted ones.
Just wanted to say that the weather here is surprisingly not freezing as usually in February, but quite warm! Experts say that this year spring will come in March already (normally it snows in April as well).
I also managed to get a new and higher paid job (via connections of course). The job situation is not excactly so Im really looking forward to it. Also, less time on thinking about tinnitus!
In addition to this I just bought a new pair of boots and realized that having tinnitus means less money on going out means more clothes
Have a nice day everyone ! (or night or whatever it is).

 

Some positive things:
Last night I upped my zinc and magnesium supplements, and this morning t is softest it has been for a while.
I also was lucky enough to speak to a leading t researcher and doctor. He said that 80% of t cases due to sudden onset substantially reduce in the first year or so.
Three good friends I know with t - two drug induced, the other noise induced, have gone from a 10 to a 1 in their first year. And that is volume and intensity reduction, not just habituation.
There is hope folks!

 

This thread is just what we all need! Today my T has been really quiet and I even had power to plan my future, where I want to study etc. I have listened good music and I even laughed many times today, and I can say that hasn't happened too much since I got T. I played with my cats and ate with my family. Now I just want to enjoy my peaceful mind and live in the moment.

 

Guys this thread is great. Demi, thanks for making it. It makes me feel much better reading the experiences by those who won T by getting used to it.

 

I too have noise induced tinnitus. I have lost some hearing in the high frequencies in my left ear, my right ear is perfect.

I am involved in music, I have not stopped, I wear protection now and just continue - as loud as the tinnitus is now. Why? I am in charge of my life, not a noise from my brain.

What gets me going is I know one day there will be something to sort out Sensorineural hearing loss, in my lifetime, sooner rather than later.

 

The snow finally started to go away! I kid you now when I say we got nearly 24" of snow in the last 2 weeks. At one point it snowed for 4 straight days!

 

Had a dream last night that T was finally cured for everyone! Lol thought it was positive

 

@Grace Maybe that was a premonition dream

 

College is a great time in one's life I can assure you you will be studying so hard that you wont even have time to think about tinnitus

 

helll yeahhh!!!

 

Natural serotoin shake: 1 1/4 cups vanilla soy milk, 1 cup of mixed berries, 1 banana, 1/2 cup walnuts, 1/4 cup rolled oats. Trust me this we'll help with depression

 

Wow, I agree with you Kevin. Because that is almost exactly what I have for breakfast most every morning (except I use yogurt instead of soy milk). No wonder I feel so great and positive most days. Just went to a dinner & dance with my honey on Saturday with live band. What a great night out, T or not. I didn't care. Greatly enjoyed the evening to the dance beats of cha cha, waltz, rumba, jive, fox trot etc. Hmm, have to get my tango up to par, LOL.

Remember to live your life abundantly and positively. It can only help you cope with T. I always think back that had I known I can still live a normal & enjoyable life even after having severely high pitch loud T, the immense sufferings in the early days could have been spared and coping with T would be much easier back then.

 

Great thread! Was feeling down today. Have to admit, i signed in with the intention of posting more "doom& gloom. Going to focus on something positive right now. Thanks all!