Hearing aids probably a mistake😞

[djv1985]

So I was given hearing aids today. The audiologist who fitted them said that she wanted to do a quick hearing check and said she couldn’t see any real hearing loss. She said that it seemed to be within the normal range for my age (33) but said that it could be pitch that I’m missing so gave me one anyway. She set it up and sent me on my way and at first it was good the sound was super low could barely hear it beyond the pitch in the distance and then an hour or so later boy did it tell me it was there and hasn’t stopped since.

I phoned up and told them what was happening and was told to take it out. That it was apparently not helping and that the reaction seemed bad enough to tell them it wasn’t going to help. I’m now in agony. It’s screaming away in my ear. I’m ready to scream and shout and being honest cry my eyes out. I know it’s probably just a spike and will hopefully go down in a few days (plz plz) but I’m in agony.

Emotional isn’t the word to describe it. Shame because I had hope with it being decreased in volume so quick that it would help but I guess not. Hating life right now (again) and scared about going to sleep because I know I’ll wake up tomorrow and it’s going to be worse.

[Jubster]

I'm sooooo sorry to hear this Hopes dashed. Screeching set to max. I know the torture.

I'm probably grasping at straws here, but this is a list of the things that have been helping me lately:

- Listening to audio books, which is helping me not focus on the T.

(Audible do a free trial for 3 months offer). I'm listening to an English translation of a Chinese sci-fi book called The Three Body Problem. I recall you like sci-fi, so that's a recommendation from me. Even if you can't listen now, maybe when it calms down. You know it will.

- I got an appointment with someone at the Royal ENT Hospital for a 1 to 1 with someone who is going to help me come to terms with the T and manage it emotionally. Sadly not until August, but I have great hopes that they will teach me some good techniques.

Neither of those may seem like much to you right now with the sirens going off in your ear, but small victories. You can do this.

[djv1985 in reply to Jubster]

Yh big sci-fi nerd and I’ve heard of the book and the writer. I tend to get my books and audio books via a different means 😉 and at the minute I’m listening to blizzard winds beside my ear just to try to calm it down which has worked in the past so I’m hoping this’ll help again.

I’m ringing docs on Monday and ent on Monday. I was referred for tinnitus therapy but told the wait could be anywhere from six months to a year I’m going to try to see if they can do something to move that along. Selfish I know but it’s how I got seen so soon before. I basically kept bugging them.

Thanks for replying and yeah it destroyed me after the noise went down only to come back like a bat out of hell. White knuckling but I’m trying to hold on.

[Suji778 in reply to djv1985]

Don’t worry some day you will habituate your Tinnitus and live happy life 😃

[djv1985 in reply to Suji778]

Hope so. I’m waiting for tinnitus therapy but as I said it could be up to a year before I get the first appointment but I hear good things about something retraining therapy so I’m hoping that’ll help me deal. I actually watched an interview William Shatner who said he’s had it since his Star Trek days and retraining therapy helped him get to the point he can ignore it unless talking about it which I’d love.

[Jubster in reply to djv1985]

Hi just checking in to see how it's going?

[djv1985 in reply to Jubster]

I’m doing alright at the minute. Distractions seems to be helping. Walking dogs more often reading and visiting family is helping and no silence. I make sure there’s always noise around me.

Hows about you?

[Jubster in reply to djv1985]

Good actually. The tinnitus is still there but I have kind of befriended it. I have found coping strategies such as walking round the local nature reserve, reading etc. like you I suppose. The worst is when I wake in the morning and the noise is a wall of sound .. BUT now I imagine that it is the sound of the sunshine through the curtains and so it takes on a different aspect. I don't know if that sounds daft. The expert at the Royal ENT hospital told me he has T but when it gets too much he imagines a volume knob and he is able to 'turn it down'. I don't know if I'll ever get to that stage, but these visualisation techniques clearly have some power if developed. I've also studied STOICISM to learn to accept. I read a book called HAPPY by Derren Brown and it helped me to no end to change the story I tell myself about the T and this helps. This might all sound daft but it seems to be working! I am concerned that if I get ill for any reason or a calamity in life - e.g. something happens to one of my kids - then the T will ramp up and I won't have the resources to cope. But right now it's okay. Thanks for asking. So glad you are learning to live with it. Did you get a sound therapy appointment? Mine is Aug.

[djv1985 in reply to Jubster]

All the same stuff for me minus the Happy book. I also worry about getting ill and it kicking up a notch but I know it’ll go down at some point so for now I’m just dealing with it and trying to avoid anyone whose sick.