Help needed

[AnnieST]

Hello. I am right at the start of this nightmare and any advice or help is desperately needed. I feel everything is over. Please help. Thank you.

[Curlew]

Hello A,

You will find it hard to believe this at the moment, as everyone at your stage of T does, including most of us on here, but you will improve.

I just could not believe what had happened to me when my T first hit, just st over a year ago. I thought my life was over, I couldn't eat and lost over a stone ( every cloud has a silver lining😊) but like just about everyone who has T you do get to a stage where it just becomes part of you and you just get on with life not noticing it for most of the time and not being anywhere near as bothered when you do hear it.

This is absolutely true, but there are a few things you need to do. You must keep positive and you must keep living your life as normal. You will find it difficult initially, but you will find it gets easier with time. It can take a lot of time for some people. As I say I have had severe loud constant T for over a year now and I would say I'm 80% better.

It will be hard but you will start to find that you have minutes when you weren't conscious of it, then these minutes will turn into hours. I promise this will happen. Keep busy and whatever you do don't sit and dwell on it thus will not help your brain adapt.

In my initial stages I used Nytol and herbal sleep teas to help me sleep but I don't need those now.

Stay on these boards you will get help and support here and don't go on boards that are full of desperate and depressed people most of them are fighting other battles as well as T.

You will get better and your life is most definitely NOT over but sadly we all seem to have to go through these horrible early stages before we start to come out of the other side.

You are not alone.

Take care.xx

[AnnieST in reply to Curlew]

Thank you for taking the time for your reply. I am finding the changes in my ears - the partial deafness, the noises induce panic attacks because I am not used to these feelings. I hope there is light at the end of the tunnel as this appears to be a living hell that some people can tolerate and others on here are barely hanging on. I am not looking for miracle cures or quick fixes but coping strategies. Has anyone tried hypnosis in anyway shape or form to help with their condition?x

[Curlew in reply to AnnieST]

I asked my audiologist what makes some people cope and get on with their lives whilst others struggle. She said one thing, personality.

Don't listen to much to people who are struggling you only need to think about yourself and how you are going to improve, and you will improve.

It's hard to explain, I couldn't believe it at first but it's true. You will get to a stage where when you are busy you will not be aware of your T and then when you do it won't be anything more than a mere annoyance.

This will happen, but it will take time and being positive.

I used to project myself into the future where I would be a lot better and just try and go about my daily life as normal and now a year later that is exactly where I am.

It will happen to you too.

[starshine53]

Hi Annie ! When I came down with Tinnitus and Hyperacusis my initial worry was how can I sleep with all this noise? I reasoned that if I could sleep 7 hours I could concentrate better and build tolerance to the dreadfully negative thoughts around my situation.So my first port off call was my GP to ask for a sedative to help sleep.He prescribed a safe drug called Amatriptaline, at a dose of 10 mgs which greatly help sleep and lowered the torturous din to my great relief . One important point to remember, the drug works well at 10 mgs but any higher can increase the noise? A mystery ?

It's important to understand that not all internal noise is Tinnitus,there is a whole range of noise conditions that are not. So I suggest you ask your doctor to refer you for a hearing test to get confirmation.

For now do not panic, easier said than done,I know,but there are a whole range of advice and help for here at BTA. I have had Tinnitus for 2 years and it no longer troubles me . My Hyperacusis (similar to Tinnitus but curable) is more of an annoying but even that is getting better with sound Therapy.

I wish you well and look forward to more comments from you.

[AnnieST in reply to starshine53]

Thank you all so much for your replies. They are helping me and I am really struggling. I have had no sleep, which as we know fuels it. Anyone come across Julian Cowan Hill on YouTube re tinnitus? He believes tinnitus is the result of a severely over-stressed central nervous system.

I am going to have my ears tested today and then try and get the ball rolling towards a sound masker or something like that.

Thank you all for being here. It does make a difference.

x