What Has Tinnitus Taught You?

Some people who experience negative health episodes (of all kinds) say they gain something from it. I'm curious about positive things people can share that have come out of having T.

Only 2 months in - but here goes:

Don't "suck it up." Seek support where other people understand. Read these forums! When T first set it, this was one place I didn't feel completely nuts.

Follow what helps. During a spike, sitting and watching a dumb sitcom is a great distraction for me. Permission to "check out."

If you are lucky enough, as I am, to have days when T is fairly unobtrusive, remember those days during a bad spell.

 

Absolutely nothing. It has pretty much destroyed my life

 

Tinnitus has taught me that there are kind people that are willing to help for the sake of helping. It has introduced me to a world of empathy that people are capable of.

 

Tinnitus has shown me that the world is a beautiful place because of the caring people who reach out to even strangers with compassion. It has shown me the best of the human spirit. It has forced me to learn new life skills to cope with T - patience, acceptance, adapting, flowing, mindfulness, being more positive, counting my blessings, appreciating life and family, finding joy amid the pain, enjoying life abundantly regardless, and above all, learning to be more compassionate towards the sufferings of others because I have tasted 'hell' in the process. T is like bird/dog poo in a park (like our life) filled with beautiful flowers. Do we want to focus on the beautiful flowers or consider the park a total disaster because it has some imperfection? We are a product of what & how we think and that can decide the quality of our life.

 

I like to think of what I am going to 'teach' my T about me. T is not taking me out for a walk, rather I'm on the people end of the leash with this T. It's all a process, I know, but this is the approach I prefer to take, personally. It's a battles of sorts we are fighting with T. I want my T to know, I'm the person, T is a sort of 'nothingness' wanting to assert itself to have more dominance than it deserves in my life. So, Asian, I feel compelled to reach out to you, and ask you to consider other opponents you've faced in your lifetime. T is just one more. Just one. You really can find your own unique way (unique being the operative word)to get on the business end of the leash, too.

 

tinnitus has taught me that i'm not the type of person who can handle having tinnitus very well.

 

Agree with you on that one.. Im at the point where mine is stable enough to
Not bother me but if it were to take a turn downwards and get louder, i wouldnt be taking it good at all and am
Glad if that ever happens that there are
Kind, supportive, people here that know what im going through to help. Im a kind of person that needs positivity. Someone telling me that this is incurable and that ill live with this the rest of my life will not help me, but the ones that stay positive like on here and give me hope for the future in any aspects like habuitation, and even possible cures will make me feel
Better. Although i know there isnt any cures now im hopeful for the future and its good to stay hopeful, and thats what i tell people when they ask for support! And ofcorse reading success stories helps too!

 

I like reading the different ways people view their T - what it brings to/takes from life. Oddly - it has taught me that I'm lazy - I don't have a desire to seek formal treatment at this point. I'm in "plow ahead" mode and T is the ultimate test of my half-*ssed mindfulness practice.

And along with the positivity on this forum I also like that people can - and give themselves space - to say out loud "this sucks." That isn't a sign of defeat or weakness - just helps sometimes to put it out there and accept support (or give it.)

As someone also said - it's a chance to practice compassion.

T has a unique nature that no one can that doesn't have it has any idea what it's like beyond how we can describe it. I think that's why this forum is helpful to me. T has taught me to reach out a bit- something I rarely do.

 

Not afraid to die.

 

That life is cruel. Tinnitus happened for me when I'd just had my baby. I have not been able to care for him like I wanted to. It's changed me for the worse I'm not the happy spirited person I was.

 

Hello , I like your post, T has taught me the same things,my T started a month ago, I think it is fro Thyroid problems
, went up , went dow , doc. changed my medicine few times and then the T started, when my thyroid is regulated, not sure if the t will go away..It has made me into a totally different person, much humble in this life, small things does not bother me anymore. Hope they hope they find a cure for us soon..Hang in there..From Toronto Canada.All the best.

 

Hello Asian, Hang in there ..huggs!

 

Hang in there! God bless! Huggs.

 

Talk with your doctor about possible hormonal imbalances after having a baby. I don't know how old your baby is, but your hormones go through a lot as a new mother. That could be playing a large part in your feeling you have lost the 'happy spirited person' you once were. And tinnitus, of course, on top of it all, adds to your sadness. There will be a way through this for you, and your baby, too.

 

There are limits to modern medicine.

 

Thank you for your kind words

 

You know, I was thinking, babies force us to get outside of ourselves, as they so completely depend on our caring for them. Use this to your benefit in dealing with the tinnitus. Maybe the mindfulness of caring for your baby will help minimize the time when tinnitus is trying to get front and center with you. The thing about babies, as soon as you've mastered one phase, they've moved on to the next. It will not always be so intense as these first early years when they need constant watching. Think of baby's 'problems' now as being minor; spilled juice, Cheerios on the floor that always need sweeping up, another diaper change. These are easy tasks to do, and let them fill up your days with a joy that you can easily meet your little one's needs. Nothing stays the same, so try to flow with the change, and see what you can discover in it that brings you some positive feeling. That 'happy spirited person' is still in you, just looking for another doorway back out in to the open.

 

I think part of the new parent syndrome too, is feeling bad about feeling bad -- it's a huge change and it seems it's always portrayed as this soft-focus amazingly perfect time. For me it was a huge mix -- deep joy - fatigue - amazement - feeling inept and unable to surrender to the experience of being a parent. BUT - it's all so normal. Enjoy what you enjoy and be kind to yourself about everything else. Don't worry your way through it. But I agree with above post -- if you feel you need support in an intense way see a doctor!

 

It has taught me that we all die with a whimper staring into the face of ultimate darkness which is merely a blackhead on the ass of The Great Cthulhu; THE ONLY TRUE GOD!!!

Kidding! Since getting T, I've realized how empty my life is. I've always been content with silence and solitude and never felt any drive to assert myself and pursue the pleasures that this world has to offer. But having T is like having a rabid animal set loose in your comfy, insular home and forcing you outside to find new things to live for.

 

Wow, Alex, I think that is a great perspective to have shared with your fellow T sufferers. It reminds me of the time an opossum got into our house, and we propped the front door open wide, and huddled on the staircase out of sight, waiting for that darn animal to find its way back outdoors. It did leave. Being half-blind (the opossum, that is) it took him awhile to get out. Do you think tinnitus could just slowly ramble its way out of our brains one of these days? In the meantime, we are just airing out the 'house', finding new things to live for, as you so eloquently stated. Thank you for that perspective.

 

I so agree. Once you've raised up your 'bundle of joy' you never see a tiny wrapped bundle again without realizing the amount of work involved in that particular 7 or so pounds of baby. A huge range of emotions are in your future, and worry should be left at the door as often as possible. 'be kind to yourself about everything else'; so true!

 

It has taught me that to truly enjoy and live your live you need to not have tinnitus.

 

It has taught me not to say that things couldn't get any worse...

 

Tinnitus has been a good experience for me in a lot of ways. I think we all can relate to the negative lessons: it sucks, doctors don't know much about it, it can cause extreme anxiety, and if you let it, it can rule your life.

But what it has taught me is that I can't take my health for granted, and that every moment is a gift from God. I believe that everything happens for a reason, and I don't know who I will encounter in life who may need to draw from my experience with tinnitus. Take Dr Nagler for instance. He has tinnitus, and no doubt it sucks. But because of this experience, he is now helping other people with tinnitus... and do the lessons we learn for tinnitus apply only to tinnitus? I believe not. Due to my tinnitus, I have sought counseling from a therapist who specializes in CBT. And I don't want to get into too much details, but CBT has already helped me in other areas of my life. And those lessons may come in handy for other people I encounter; I don't know what tribulations my daughter will face in her life and I may need to draw from my entire experience with tinnitus.

And tinnitus has helped me relate more to people who have health problems in general.

 

How much I dislike having tinnitus.

 

...that modern medicine is not so modern - and if you want results, you have to be at-the-edge-of-science.

 

Tinnitus has taught me what ultra high frequencies sound like

 

Tinnitus has taught me that life is precious and should not be taken for granted.

 

that people sitting under a bridge with tinfoil on their head probably have tinnitus.

 

Tinnitus taught me

Not to buy guitar amplifiers bigger than a lunchbox.
And
I learned that the human body can do some freaky amazing things since I taught myself not to hear my T using the Back To Silence method.