All my brain does is fixate on it every second of every day and it's caused severe anxiety and depression.
I am in sort of a down mood today. Kept busy with projects around my house outside in nice weather listening to the sound of the ocean waves and the distance seagull cries. It is rather beautiful here on the ocean side.
But, after all these years and staying away from internet support and working on myself and various issues....I read the desperation in the new and some older tinnitus people. The amount of younger ones astounds me. Not sure how many are over the age of 40.
I am just sad.
However addressing the issue of anxiety is so very important. It isn't the type of anxiety most people get. It is a real symptom caused by the continuing NOISE of various loudness degrees and different sounds. High shrills. Low tones. Screeching metal sounds. So many different types of NOISE.
People with diabetes have to stay on medication to regulate blood sugar.
My belief is that if someone is suffering from tinnitus induced anxiety that is the first symptom to treat with various methods and medications. But the stigma and scare tactics of addiction often make me mad. Because this medication saved my life. Carefully monitored by my doctor and never over medicating or mixing alcohol or other street drugs.
Used correctly it saved my life and still does. Never once had to up the dose. I know I cannot just stop it without careful reduction. But a diabetic cannot do that either.
Sometimes it is just needed for short term depending on the individual's situation. And sometimes with nerve damage that cannot be repaired it is necessary to continue a normal life of some sort.
I
had been involved with the ATA back in 2002 - 2007 or so. Then involved with OHSU in Portland Oregon with their wonderful tinnitus clinic and Dr. Billy Martin. A few years ago the university closed down the clinic and he moved to Singapore with his wife to start the very first tinnitus clinic in that area of the world. And to teach at the university there.
Tinnitus experts simply do not exist. And the one who claims such a title with a lot of internet involvement was the reason I left everything to do with tinnitus for a very long time.
And then when Tinnitus Talk became free of that I started seeing a lot of good things happening. Sure we still have no answers or real treatments but there are techniques discussed by Micheal Leigh and others that can help many people. But that is on the other side of the world from the USA.
Arod not sure why I digressed but you wrote about not being able to stop the fixation on the tinnitus and the associated anxiety. Please understand you can do things to help with the anxiety symptom. It is real and keeps us from being able to function normally. But it takes time and effort and sometimes the right medication. I don't believe ADs are the right choice for the one symptom of anxiety. And those are often prescribed way to often rather than an anxiety medication.
For me it was the anxiety that contributed to the depression.
Those who abuse medications and use drinking and other substances take away the ability for those like us who need this type of medicine.
I used other forms to treat the anxiety like hypnosis, guided meditation and other forms of body relaxation.
Once I got a handle on that and it took me some time because of the severity and nerve damage I got my life back.
I do have restrictions that I like to follow. I don't go to movies or loud places. I live here by the ocean and spend my time in more nature. I run everyday and use music therapy that I simple found myself by listening to certain songs and finding the ones that had a certain tone and harmony or whatever.
Work on stuff like that if possible.
I wish you success and dedication towards finding a solution for your issues. Trial and error sometimes. But it is possible.
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