Tinnitus Nightmare

So I feel like I've been doing well with my tinnitus lately. It seemed to spike a bit one week so I had to analyze what I was ingesting. Coffee, sugar, alcohol were my main suspects. After doing some trial and error I think I narrowed it down to sugar and sure enough my spike was nothing permanent, it just seemed like it for a week because I was putting sugar in my coffee and it's the holidays so candy is everywhere.

ANYWAYS, with that tidbit outta the way my tinnitus has been more manageable lately but even when it was louder it never kept me from sleeping *crosses fingers*. I still, surprisingly, get pretty good sleep but last night it finally happened.... I had a nightmare specifically about T. In my dream I was just sitting on the couch and my wife was talking to me but she just so happened to be talking right into my T ear. It sounded so loud and instantly spiked my T. I became very upset and started pacing around thinking about how my T was now super loud and will never go away.

You have no idea how relieved I was when I woke up and realized it was just a dream, and that my T was at the usual level it is during the night. I really hope I don't have more dreams like that.

It's probably just the fact I feel like I'm making real progress so in my mind I'm terrified I'll suffer a huge setback.

 

keyword 'terrified'

for most of us with bothersome t and h, a permanent spike is probably the scariest thought of all.

this is where cbt mindfulness is helpful.

these days, i try to avoid entertaining thoughts of worsening t. all it does is escalate anxiety, and i already have enough of that dealing with chronic illness as it is.

I cant say I am enjoying my set back at present ( lyme disease and pneumonia). However, it is amazing how resilient we can be when we have to be. Have some confidence in your ability to adapt if needed and try not to worry too far ahead of yourself. You cant always predict what life will throw at you.