Anxiety and Tinnitus

[Griffiths30]

I've suffered from anxiety on and off for years, over the last year or so due to things that have happened my anxiety has got worse again. I'm finding that when I feel anxious the tinnitus seems to go up a few levels. It does eventually calm down a bit! I just wondered if anyone else has noticed the connection?

[rabbits65]

Hello there. 😊 Oh yes most definitely . I often worry and get anxious and if that happens my stress levels go up and the tinnitus thrives !!!! So now I calm down and go out and enjoy many poodle dog walks . Consequently I’m keeping my tinnitus at better levels . So you are completely right. Many people have posted on this site about the affects of stress affecting tinnitus and the way t loves it . I do hope that you are alright tonight .

[Hidden]

Hi

Absolutely. It is hard to disentangle them. I think they are both causes and symptoms of each other. This forum is helping me hugely.

I do have anxiety but am also quite confident. I used to get defensive about any suggestion of being anxious- but now I accept it. Difficult to disentangle stress, anxiety & tinnitus. It is horrible though and at its peak can be so debilitating. Mine's builds up so I have manageable periods.

All the best, hope you get a good spell ahead. 💫

[CamperT25]

Hi, yes I definitely notice that of I'm worried about my T the noise level seems to go up. In reality I think itbis because if I'm anxious about it I pay the Tinnitus more attention, therefore amplifying it to myself. I have noticed if It gets louder then I get engrossed in a tv programme it seems quieter. Its actually the same, but seems to go quieter as my brain is not focused on it. Hope that helps. Take care, Hx

[Ana20]

Yes, I have noticed. I try to take life easy.

[Graz81]

Hello Griffiths30. Stress, anxiety and Tinnitus is definitely a vicious cycle. Many studies have proven that stress and anxiety are major Tinnitus triggers. They are all basically a bunch of very good friends.

What helped me most in moments of anxiety and stress is simple deep breathing exercises. It won't make the anxiety go away. But, it can instantly bring it down from a 10 to a 3 or 4, making it so much more manageable.

To do the breathing exercise, try to find a place where you can be by yourself for a few minutes when you are anxious. Then, simply breathe in and out, deep from your diaphragm, aiming for about 4-8 seconds on every exhale and inhale. When you breathe in, your tummy should push out. When you exhale, your tummy should cave in against your back. That's how you know you are breathing from your diaphragm and not in a shallow manner.

You will be amazed at how calming this can be. I found it so relaxing and helpful that I practice a few minutes of deep breathing everyday, regardless of whether I am anxious or not!

[doglover1973]

Hi Griffiths30 Everything Graz81 says. My CBT counsellor taught me how to breath this way. It's so helpful. It calms your whole nervous system down. I do it every morning . Extra if I'm feeling anxious - which is more often than not. Hope you find it helpful 🙂

[Spurdog1]

Absolutely yes, Anxiety and stress are the cause of T "increase", though note quotes on the comment. The Tinnitus doesn't go up, it's the awareness of it that goes up. And relax

[surreycccfan]

Hi, there is definitely a link between the two and you can easily get in a vicious cycle of feeling anxious about your T then that spikes your T and that makes you more anxious and so on.... A good resource exploring this is tinnitus.org.uk/tinnitus-an... as others have said activities like CBT, relaxation techniques and other positive behavior if practiced regularly can really help with both T and anxiety.