Tinnitus Retraining Therapy

TRT does NOT reduce the volume

quit replying to this thread @threefirefour
MPP is about to pass it in views and by replying you are retarding that process.

a little over 2000 views (few days for MPP)

 

Sorry sometimes I can tell help but take the bait.

 

Re volume reduction, I can't know for sure, but that certainly seem to be the experience of a few people I knew. It's not impossible it was coincidental but certainly if I am to believe my family friend he saw a very rapid marked improval. And possibly me, but in my case it's only been very modest since I began and it could be due to the hearing aid or coincidental. I agree that the possibility of getting worse with trt is a very serious concern and I think the risks of things like this happening are always understated by clinicians, and anyone trying it has to bear that in mind. I have to say this forum comes off more like daft tribal bickering than a discussion sometimes compared to forums for other health problems

 

I agree with you 100% there. Tinnitus brings out the worst in people and there isn’t much unity amongst the community as a whole. I used to be on a forum for a different condition and it was so far removed from how tinnitus forums are that the difference was night and day. There was unconditional unity and support for starters.

Tinnitus Talk, however, besides the bickering, is a great place with some great people. Behind the scenes people work tirelessly, and selflessly, to help others, which to me is the hallmark of greatness.

I suppose it is what it is.

 

When people have the background of a charitable nature, Tinnitus need not bring out the worst in them.
Tinnitus has treated me pretty badly if you think about it, but I will always look for a positive way forward.
To choose any other direction is quite simply to court disaster.
Reinforce negative messages and you remove the possibility of healing.
We need to accept the reality of ‘what is,’
and determine to go forward.
Encourage ourselves, as we encourage others.
Just my view folks.
xx

 

Tinnitus has been around since the dawn of time.
To my knowledge, nobody has ever cured noise induced Tinnitus - which is by far the most common form.
There is no effective treatment, much less a cure.
“We Want A Cure!”
But there isn’t one.
We can sit there and fret and stew, but that makes absolutely no difference, other than making us feel so much worse.
In my opinion we need to accept ‘what is,’ and try to calmly learn some better coping techniques.

Does anybody have anything better to suggest...?

 

Jazzer is right. There isn’t a cure so we have to learn to accept it, and all the changes it makes to our lives. Otherwise, it will eat away at you and make you feel ten times worse, and you’ll never be happy again. It’s no different to how people have to learn to adapt to other conditions that have no cure, such as: ALS, MS, FOP, Parkinson’s, paralysis, loss of limbs, loss of sight, etc.

I sound like a broken record here, but if we want to adavance our chances of seeing treatments, or even a cure, then we must do something about it. People who don’t have tinnitus will not be striving to change this; many don’t even know it exists. It is on us, the tinnitus community to do something about it. We need to start raising more money, either here, together - on a big scale - or independently many times over. The potential to raise significant amounts of money is high if we all apply ourselves. We can’t just sit talking on here, demanding a cure, without taking some form of action to help make it happen. That is akin to daydreaming; a complete waste of time.

 

That is absolutely true.

Some neurological conditions like Alzheimer and Parkinson's are creating significant costs to the economy as people live longer. And it's very likely that these conditions are getting more and more funding and research. Even though neurological disorders might not share common genetics (http://science.sciencemag.org/content/360/6395/eaap8757) all the neurological conditions get new methodologies from advances in research of the other neurological conditions (for example http://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2018/NR/C7NR06794A ). And if TRT is still researched, it could benefit from example research done in brain plasticity research (for example http://science.sciencemag.org/content/360/6395/1349). I hope that breakthroughs and general knowledge in other related fields would make it more interesting for more researchers to get involved with tinnitus research.

 

Anatomically modern humans arose in Africa about 200,000 years ago, and reached behavioural modernity about 50,000 years ago.

Does anybody on this forum, regardless of funding possibilities, reckon a cure could come anytime soon?

Come on you lot - cheer me up somebody...??

 

Yes of course, for some definition of "soon"...

 

TRT is holding back actual research on how to actually reduce the volume of tinnitus

 

I Think TRT is a choice of options that people could try but I wish free for everyone but at no cost to money needed for resurch.
We are all different and find ways that help us cope and TRT is just a choice that some people might want to try.
I know @Michael Leigh had great help with TRT and im sure many more people have had good results and some not.
Let's hope we do find a cure for some people but until then the more choices for help as got to be a good thing and TRT included if can get it fee or afford it.
love glynis

 

......I’’m quite hopeful that a cure could possibly come within the next 50,000 years.....perhaps that’s being a tad optimistic......until which time sufferers can practice various therapeutic approaches.....xx

 

Maybe NASA and ESA would come up with a switch which would make us see the future, instead of those Hubble XDF images from 13 billion years away in the past.

That's a bit black and white way to see things. Yes, research beyond habituation should be of course done. However young scientist and medical doctors don't really graduate as tinnitus superstars. They have to specialize in tinnitus research and do some basic research before they can do the heavy lifting. TRT and habituation is probably the most documented area in tinnitus related treatments, and some research, for thesis example, could probably be done even if the instructor isn't specialized on tinnitus. It's a safe starting point for a young scientist interested in tinnitus research, who could then be later on recruited by some research group working on treatments beyond TRT and habituation. Lets say a doctor specializes and becomes an ENT. Which would be more beneficial for the tinnitus community (if later on she decides to become a researcher): a) She specializes in tinnitus with some research on habituation process b) She specializes in throat related stuff?

 

TRT isn't going to get us anywhere.

I want to see real science like vagus nerve stimulation and signal timing, cochlear hair cell regeneration to restore hearing, epilepsy medicines that target areas of the brain causing tinnitus.

Ways to reduce the actual volume of tinnitus!

Not another method on seperating the emotional brain for the audiotory brain like Jastreboff's TRT and the Levo system.

 

I like the comparison between tinnitus and headaches. Where is headache retraining therapy mentioned??

 

The therapeutic aspect, and the research aspect are not mutually exclusive.
So far, various therapies have eased the pain for several thousands.
Research has currently not even helped one single soul.

Not One.

A little bit of perspective wouldn’t go amiss.

 

I'll beat you over the head until your headache disappears. It's foolproof!

 

@Contrast,
TRT is just another choice in helping people deal with tinnitus until a cure comes along and won't stop resurch.
Everyone is different so any choice that could help people deal with tinnitus has to be a good thing.

I am still sceptical if it helps and unless by hearing from people whom have had it will leave us guessing.
I totally gree that habituation is not a cure and more research is needed now and much needed funds.
love glynis

 

This kind of reasoning is really naive. Yes, mankind has been around for thousands of years but your logic is built on the premise that technological advancement increases linearly. But that is completely false! Technological advancement increases exponentially with time.

Just as an example: We have done more in the last 50-100 years than all the species that have ever lived in the history of the planet Earth combined, including humans. It took mankind thousands of years to reach the advancement to build any kind of engine. That was just a couple of hundred years ago. And now we build spaceships that can take men to the moon and probes that can travel beyond our solar system. If the advancement were to go the way you seem to propose we wouldn't have built a spaceship for another million years or so.

Yes, people have studied anatomy for tens of thousands of years but we didn't manage to pull of an organ transplant until very recently. That is just one example of things we have done. I'll give you another more recent one: A friend of mine has two daughters that were both born prematurely. Today 95% of all children born in the same week as his first daughter survive. 15 years ago that figure was only 10%. That is what we have done only recently!

A cure is coming!

 

Of course I was being a tad cynical, and intentionally naive.
However, I wanted some cheer, and you provided some old sport. (English expression.)
However - we will still have to wait and see.....??

 

I realize TRT has been discussed here, but can someone please explain something to me? I’m considering the therapy, but really don’t get the science behind it. Also, I’ve noticed that people on here either hate or love it.

When you use maskers, does the brain start to “learn” to distinguish the T from the masker sounds? Does TRT urge the brain to eventually ignore the Tinnitus? Or it is just a temporary fix and doesn’t really do anything in the long term? Do you have to do the masking forever? Thank you.

 

TRT uses white noise generators and counselling together.
White noise generators are set below your tinnitus and this helps your brain not to focus on your tinnitus and push hard to pick up the white noise.

love glynis

 

HI @Quiet please

I have had TRT twice and the full treatment. I have written a number of posts and articles on the treatment that are available on my started threads. Please read the post below and click on the link.

Michael

TRT, As I See It.

I think some people misunderstand TRT and the way it can help tinnitus. Whilst a person is entitled to an opinion, if they haven’t been on the programme and only read reports on it, I don’t believe they are getting the full picture. A number of people have asked me about its effectiveness and when should it be administered. I covered this in my post: What is TRT and when should it be started: https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/what-is-trt-and-when-should-it-be-started.19024/

TRT has quite a following and has caused much debate in this forum and elsewhere on the Internet. Unfortunately, a lot of these comments haven’t been favourable, although those that have had the treatment or elements of it have said they found it helpful. This treatment is expensive and I will be candid and say, only those that can afford it are able to try it.

Where I live the treatment is free but it is only available at selected hospitals. Even then, some don’t follow the TRT protocol and adapt the treatment to their requirements but good results have still been possible. In some parts of the UK it’s just not available nor is CBT. Therefore, anyone wanting TRT will have to pay privately at clinic. Other forum members have told me the treatment is free in their country and like the UK, it has been adapted to include some elements of the therapy. This may be wearing one or two white noise generators and not always having tinnitus counselling with a Hearing Therapist, so a person may be left to just get along with it.

I have learned in some countries medical insurance won’t touch TRT, so a person will have to pay for it out of their own pocket, which I think this is unfortunate.

So what is TRT and if one is able to pay for it should they, taking into account some of the negative comments that it has received? Having had TRT twice over 20 years following the TRT protocol, I will try to shed some more light on this treatment and hopefully give the individual a little more clarity to make up their own mind on whether the financial outlay is worth it, but more importantly; is it effective as a treatment for someone that has tinnitus and hyperacusis and enable them to have a better quality of life?

I first want to say the following is based on my own opinion and therefore is not professional medical advice. The onset of tinnitus can be quite an emotional roller coaster for a lot of people, and I believe a person needs time for this to settle. Many people habituate within the first six months to one year of the onset of tinnitus without any treatment. If a person just has tinnitus without any additional symptoms, such as dizziness, deafness or balance problems. I think a period of at least six months should elapse before starting a long-term treatment such as TRT. Anyone paying privately needs to know they are getting the proper treatment. Any clinic not giving you this service then I advise you to go elsewhere because it is not TRT. You should be given two white noise generators to wear and also having regular counselling sessions with a Hearing Therapist or Audiologist. More is explained in the above link.

TRT is not a complete cure so anyone seeking this might be disappointed. However, the sound therapy, which involves wearing white noise generators, I believe can cure hyperacusis as in my case. It should be noted, whilst this treatment may not cure tinnitus, many people find its perception reduces to such a low level they can comfortably live with it. Habituate. In some instances a person might be unaware of their tinnitus for long periods. Each person will respond to it differently.

If you have ever lost someone that is close to you, such as a parent, partner or even a pet then you will know what it is to grieve. Most people will go through this process at some point in their life. It is not often talked about but we all know it’s something that’s inevitable and will come to us sooner or later perhaps even more than once in our lifetime. It requires a period of time for a person to accept that their life has changed, and time is needed to adjust so they will eventually be able to move on.

Why am I saying this some of you might be wondering? A forum member recently asked what does TRT involve? I was explaining to him, the counselling part of the therapy and the relationship between patient and Hearing Therapist. At first the therapist discusses with the patient how the tinnitus makes them feel and how it has impacted on their life. Often people say they have lost interest in the things they once liked doing, which is perfectly understandable. The main goal is to gradually help them to look at life differently and with a more positive outlook. Over time the negative thinking that is often associated with tinnitus and hyperacusis is gradually dispelled and demystified. The Hearing Therapist does this in a controlled and precise manner so that the patient feels relaxed and not pressured.

The forum member then said it sounds like a form of grief counselling. After we had spoken I thought about it and have to say I believe it to be a good description, because that’s what the therapy part of TRT is akin to. Thanks Paul @PaulBe. The amount of times people have told me over the phone or read posts in this forum: “If I could only get my life back”. “My life used to be perfect”. “I keep looking at peoples ears and wondering what my life used to be like”. “If I could only hear silence again”. And so on.

When someone gets loud intrusive tinnitus with or without hyperacusis, in an instant their world has been turned upside down. Some go through periods of stress, anxiety even depression and yearn for the way life was before the onset. They need time to adjust and to accept this new anomaly in their life. Some have an easier time than others at habituating, so may not need the help of a tinnitus counselling. For some that find the tinnitus and hyperacusis severely intrusive TRT and CBT can prove to be helpful. It all depends on the individual, their emotional makeup and the severity of the condition because we are all different. It is for this reason; the treatment can take up to 2 years for a person to adjust to a different way of life and often with a positive outcome.

I was fortunate to have TRT twice and found it to be helpful on both occasions. I only wish that it were more readily available to others.

Michael

 

Over time the brain habituates to the white noise generators and slowly pushes the tinnitus into the background so it becomes less noticeable. The white noise generators will also treat hyperacusis (sensitivity to sound) if it is present. You do not have to use the white noise generators forever. However, I do use them regularly sometimes just because I want to other times because it's necessary, as my tinnitus is now variable. From: complete silence, mild, moderate, severe and very severe.

You might find the post below helpful.

The habituation process.

Habituation is frequently talked about in tinnitus forums and probably comes in at second place to the popular question: when will a cure be found? It seems some people have become quite taken with this word and believe it is the most important thing to strive for when dealing with this condition. Everyone wants to habituate as soon as possible and carry on living their life doing everything that they want to and putting tinnitus firmly behind them.

I can honestly say that I see nothing wrong with that, but wanting something in the speed that we would like it isn’t always achievable, especially with something like tinnitus. A few people that have had tinnitus for a while, have contacted me to discuss just that. They have concerns about the length of time it’s taking to habituate. Similarly, I have heard from those new to this condition that want the habitation process to start as quickly as possible. Both groups tell me they are doing all the right things but it seems patience is giving way to despondency and despair and some are starting to believe habituation might never happen for them.

It is of little comfort to these people when they hear family and friends say, tinnitus is just a minor irritant and something that can easily be ignored. Occasionally, it might be intrusive but this is never more than temporary and they are still able to carry on with their life unperturbed. I often sense the frustration a person is under when they are relaying this to me. Whether I’m talking to them on the telephone, private messenger or answering an email. It is then that I’m often asked: why is it that the habituation process doesn’t seem to be happening for them?

Answering such a question isn’t easy because there is no single answer that I can provide but I will say this. Tinnitus is a common condition that comes in many forms and intensities and no two people experience it the same. It can be very troublesome especially in the early stages of onset, but gradually this gives way and the condition settles down and in time many manage to cope with it when it’s mild or moderate. Sometimes this may involve treatment via a hearing therapist or a person achieves this naturally without being referred to a clinic.

It should be noted that tinnitus can be a complex condition, depending on how loud and intrusive it is for the individual? So what I’ve just outlined won’t apply to everyone. There are other factors that also come into play. A person’s make-up or rather their outlook on life. Whether they are positive or negative thinking can help or delay the habitation process. In addition to this, stress and anxiety are often associated with tinnitus and a person might be taking medication such as an antidepressant to help cope with it. There are a myriad of scenarios that I could relay to you on how tinnitus can affect someone’s quality of life, their well-being and the habituation process. For now I will say this:

When a person habituates to tinnitus it means they are able cope with it but this doesn’t mean they will never hear it. Although some people habituate to a level where the tinnitus is rarely heard or stays at a very low level. Whether the tinnitus is silent for periods of time or remains low, mild, moderate or is occasionally intrusive, it doesn’t really matter, because it all means the same thing. When habituation is reached a person will know, because whatever the level it will not bother you. However, like everything there are exceptions and tinnitus is no different. I believe there are some limitations to habituation. As I have previously said the condition comes in many forms and intensities. Some people have variable tinnitus that can fluctuate from silent, mild, moderate and severe. When it is loud and intrusive (severe) and this level is sustained for long periods it can become very debilitating and a person might have to take medication to cope with it, which is usually supplied by their doctor. This level of sustained intrusiveness shouldn’t be confused with a tinnitus spike, which usually returns to baseline within a short period of time.

I want to say that I believe habituation is achievable for most people with time. In some instances a person might need the professional help of a Hearing Therapist or Audiologist, as there are a variety of treatment options available to help one in the habituation process. One should also try to be realistic. There are some people that will accept nothing less than a complete cure from their tinnitus and this is unfortunate, because they could waste a lot of time being miserable.

I have corresponded with people that have said, their tinnitus is very low and is only heard occasionally or in a quiet room, at night for instance. Yet these people are not satisfied because they want a complete cure and will deliberately seek out quiet surroundings to monitor their tinnitus, checking to see if it has increased or not. It’s as if they have become obsessed with this condition and to the point where is starts to affect their relationship with those that are close to them, and I don’t think this is healthy.

In summing up I want to say one last thing. Those that are having treatment with a Hearing Therapist, Audiologist, or finding that their tinnitus is becoming less intrusive and they are in the habituation process. Try not to read negative posts or associate with negative thinking people who are not in the same place that you are, as their beliefs can prevent your advancement, if you are not careful.

I wish you well
Michael

PS: further reading on habituation:
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/answers-to-hyperacusis-and-habituation.12058/

 

Hello @glynis & @Michael Leigh.
Thank you both very much for your answers & good information. In the US, this treatment is not generally covered by insurance & IS quite expensive. I’ve had T for 10 years & was doing ok with the T being mild to moderate. But last year I was rear-ended in a motor vehicle accident & it’s been severe. My neurologist said to give it a year to heal from the concussion and whiplash, but it’s now 1 year & 5 months & im not doing well. I’m going to read Michaels links and make a decision soon. Thank you again.

 

it's 100% habituation based it does not change the physical volume of tinnitus just desensitizing the emotion brain.

it's founder was known to openly discourage the idea of a treatment for tinnitus as if it is impossible.

 

I have had TRT @Contrast and you have not. Each person will respond to TRT, CBT and other forms of tinnitus treatment differently. TRT is known to help the majority of people that have it or elements of it. However, if a person goes into this treatment or any other with a negative mindset, or looking to be completely cured, as you and others do it will not help at all.

Michael

PS: by the way, in many cases TRT does lower the intensity of the tinnitus or at least the perception of it and enable a person to have a better quality of life. This has to be a good and postive thing. It is negative thinking and the belief that no treatment will work that is one of the main reasons, some people are unable to habituate to this condition.

 

@Michael Leigh you had mentioned that the treatment could cost up to $5,000, that's like for a year? Including the device they will sell?

 

HI @1000

I live in the UK. When I had TRT under my health system which is the NHS it was free. I know this treatment is expensive and probably would have had difficulty paying for it privately at the time. The purpose of my posts to to convey to people the benefits of TRT when it is administered properly as in my case. I had regular counselling with my Hearing Therapist and wore white noise generators daily and used a sound machine at night.

TRT is not enough on it's own. A person has to adopt a positive outlook to life, by reinforcing positive thinking and doing everthing possible to get their life back on track. It takes time and effort. Some people want to habituate to tinnitus without doing anything at all. Therefore, they will see no progress.

All the best
Michael