i had very dark thoughts last night: Hi, I'm new... - Tinnitus UK

Tinnitus UK

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i had very dark thoughts last night

kap_locks profile image
17 Replies

Hi, I'm new here.

I have had tinnitus for the last 2 months and it has just gotten worse over the last week meaning i can't sleep. I'm talking to my GP today.

I called 111 last night (the uk non emergency medical number) to ask for help at 3am because I didn't know what to do and thought I was losing my mind.

How do people stay positive? I might have to wait for referrals and then scans and ear wax removal, but i just don't think I can wait any longer.

Sleeping pills aren't even helping me right now and it's affecting my life entirely. I work in a bar with music and I work with children who are very noisy and I just can't face it, or face carrying on right now.

I'm feeling extremely low right now

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17 Replies
Ruud1boy profile image
Ruud1boy

Your GP may be able to give you something a bit stronger to help you through the early stages. Accept whatever help you can get. It won't do anything directly for your T, but if you can calm yourself down, this will usually calm the T down. The worst thing you can do is freak out and stress about it, as that makes it worse.

The early stages of T are usually the worst - the best advice is to learn as much as you can about the condition, to convince yourself it's not dangerous, you're not going mad and it's not uncommon. Then you need to try to go about your life as normal - reduce your focus / attention on the racket in your head and in time the racket will reduce / fade.

Re the dark thoughts - I've been there. Take one day at a time, one hour at a time if needs be. Tomorrow might be better. Moan and complain on here all you like - everyone understands the difficulties you are facing and wants to help.

ShakeelaBTA profile image
ShakeelaBTA

Hello and welcome to the British Tinnitus Association forum.

Do feel free to ask any questions, I hope that you find this a helpful and supportive place to help you manage your tinnitus.

We have some resources that you might like to check out in addition to our home here:

tinnitus.org.uk (information and support details)

takeontinnitus.co.uk (free tinnitus management programme)

Helpline 0800 018 0527 (Monday-Friday 9am-5pm) (outside the UK you can call +44 (0)114 250 9922)

Kind regards

Shakeela

ShakeelaBTA profile image
ShakeelaBTA

Hello and welcome to the British Tinnitus Association forum.

Do feel free to ask any questions, I hope that you find this a helpful and supportive place to help you manage your tinnitus.

We have some resources that you might like to check out in addition to our home here:

tinnitus.org.uk (information and support details)

takeontinnitus.co.uk (free tinnitus management programme)

Helpline 0800 018 0527 (Monday-Friday 9am-5pm) (outside the UK you can call +44 (0)114 250 9922)

Kind regards

Shakeela

chris1961uk profile image
chris1961uk

Hi i understand where you are coming from. i have been suffering for the past 20 years. it is extremely hard. talk to friends ir family. they will only understand if you tell them. what you ate going through. and im not just saying that. my world is screaming 24 hours a day and i do have dark days. with tears. i call mine the black dog. if you do want sone where to vent your anger please message any time.

Caspian1 profile image
Caspian1

I totally understand your feelings and frustrations but as other will say you just need to try and find ways of coping with it.

I don't think the same things work for everyone so you will have to discover what works best for you.

Personally I found being under the shower or in the hot tub helps me to relax, I prefer to find ways to relax and distract my mind rather than take medication.

I have found reading other members experiences helpful and comforting when I feel at my most desperate with T.

Remember you are not alone.

Richmac profile image
Richmac

Hi. I’m sorry you have had to join the ranks of T sufferers. Your initial reaction is quite common especially your fear of losing your mind. Eventually once you realize that you can live with T and often completely forget you have it, your anxiety will decrease, your sleep will improve and your fear will improve.

Your mind and thought process can be the

worst and best treatment for tinnitus.

Simply put, “calm yourself down” and this will “calm your tinnitus.”

I’m just reiterating what many have already said because it really will help you.

Best of luck.

Please continue to use this support. app.

Richard

Verma54 profile image
Verma54 in reply to Richmac

Great advise

Sally07 profile image
Sally07

Hi. I'm really sorry to hear this, and I totally understand the dark thoughts tinnitus can drive you to. I was in a similar position when I was in two months in - waiting for referrals and wondering how on earth people live a 'normal life' with this condition.

Now I'm seven months in, and I've had all my referrals. I want you to know that I feel LOADS better than I did five months ago. My tinnitus is still there but the volume has drastically reduced, and I believe this is due to my 'fear response' settling down on its own, and consequently my brain starting to relearn to filter these noises out. That's what the audiologist I saw said would most likely happen. She said that tinnitus is caused by an 'event', be it a noise related hearing loss or an ear infection, or a change in stress levels (or something else) , which causes the part of the brain responsible for filtering out unnecessary information to go a bit crazy and start registering these normal electrical impulses as sound.

I know it probably sounds crazy right now but overtime the negative emotions - fear or frustration - will subside naturally, and when they do, the tinnitus will start to get quieter and less intrusive. As for the sleeping situation, when mine was at its worst, I used a radio tuned to static and turned up quite loud to drown out the noise so I could sleep. There are many other techniques, and I recommend a YouTube video called 'How to manage tinnitus at night' by Julian Cowan Hill - he's really good!

OK, I'll stop now :D Sorry for the long message. Thing is, I remember so clearly how awful I felt when I was at two months, and it's so important that you know things do get better (even when you can't quite believe it at the time). Feel free to message me about anything!

Sally

chris1961uk profile image
chris1961uk

unfortunately sally for some there is no peace. im not going to list my story. all i want to say i see a lot of professional health people. my Tinnitus is at a high Frequency 5Hz. i have no silence ever and been like this for 20 years. i am very glad i found this forum at least some people do understand 😊

jbradford42 profile image
jbradford42

Stay positive I know it’s really hard but stay calm. Read all the replies on your post these people and I are going through the same or similar thing. Remember if we help each other and stick together we will beat this sh:t. John.

Charleslima profile image
Charleslima

Feel free to contact me +55 83 996210900

dsh2358 profile image
dsh2358

Hi

Welcome ! Yes it is a horrible affliction

And we have to learn how to deal with it.

I had it for 2 years now and I tried every combo of minerals and vitamins and sadly nothing worked. I have on top of T very high Anxiety too and that makes it worse.

What works best for me is CBD Oil the highest you can get 1500 Mg a full dropper twice a day. Don’t worry it does not get you high! And I also take low dosages of

Aprazolam.025 mg twice a day or Diazepam same dosage. This seems to control the volume at a rate where I can go about a normal life. I hope I have helped you in some way. The biggest thing is acceptance of it !!!!

Good luck

DSH🇺🇸

kap_locks profile image
kap_locks

Thank you all for your words. They really helped when I was at that initial dark and stressful moment.

Since then my tinnitus has become much more manageable. I only hear it at night but I am now sleeping fine, it sometimes peaks if I am stressed but I am able to manage the stress with breathing and relaxation techniques.

I also saw a consultant who said there is nothing brain or ear related causing it. She said that it will get better over time as my brain gets used to it and blocks it out, so I'm feeling much more positive.

She recommended using the CDs and DVDs on the british tinnitus association website so if anyone hasn't looked in to that yet for their own tinnitus, I would recommend you do that!

Eabxj28 profile image
Eabxj28

Hello I was thinking the same as you landed up in hospital for nine days got through the worst now sleeping did not work for me either but mirtazaphine 15 mg works wonders I don’t even wake up in middle of night with these

Eabxj28 profile image
Eabxj28

Sleeping pills I mean

Finnitus profile image
Finnitus

The initial days of Tinnitus are indeed frightening. There are life changes one can make to ease the tension and lower the level of noise. Diet is one. No coffee Tea Alcohol Chocolate or Central Heating helps. Stimulants increase the blood flow as do heat and thus more activity in the ear. You could try placing a small radio under your pillow, tune low to Classic FM (Ireland) or an equivalent station elsewhere.

Finnitus profile image
Finnitus

My first thought every morning without fail, is suicide. The second is coffee. As long as it is not inverse, there is hope.

Ps.

If you must drink tea coffee alcohol, try not to consume after 7 pm otherwise the Tinnitus will increase. Don't despair Kaplock, we understand everything you are going through right now.

Rather than be giving voice to the sound try reciting a poem in your mind when you go to sleep. A good one to begin with is The Brook by Alfred Lord Tennyson. Learn it off and let it

be your anecdote to your Tinnitus. If you need more support than this forum, let me know and I will speak with you by phone to help you through the fear of early onset Tinnitus. Incidentally, my name is Finn, hence Finnitus.

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