Marrer

To begin with, please know that you are not alone.  Tinnitus is common,
Many people share your experience and there are ways to cope.

The first thing I would do is to make sure you can get a good night's
sleep.  Background sound helps me, and if that is not sufficient, you
should ask your GP for sleeping medication.

The next thing I would recommend is to do what you can to reduce your
emotional reaction to the tinnitus.  There is a natural process of
habituation whereby the nervous system will adjust to the tinnitus so
that it does not seem so loud and disturbing. For this process to take
place, you need to do what you can to reduce your emotional feelings
about it.  There is an excellent web site that describes the mechanism
of habituation and what you can do to help it along:  www.tinnitus.org.
This process can take a long time, but it is one that happens
naturally.  Some people take much longer than others, but it can happen
for you, as it does for most of us.  You need to understand that the
tinnitus is harmless, meaningless and not a cause for concern.  That is
extremely difficult to do for many of us, but the web site does tell
you how to approach it from the context of what tinnitus really is.
It's worth looking at.

Any kind of relaxation exercises that you can do are worth trying.
Deep breathing, meditation, etc.  Also, avoiding completely quiet
environments (which does not seem to be a problem for you at work :-),
is helpful.  Music that you like, played softly, white noise, and/or a
sound machine (like Brookstone's Quite Moments) can be very helpful.

Finally, I would say you need to keep busy, to the extent you can,
doing things you enjoy.  Even if you feel that your enjoyment is badly
dampened by the tinnitus, do them anyway.  On the other hand, sometimes
it may seem impossible to do anything, impossible NOT to dwell on it,
and in those cases, do not feel badly.  You will get better at this as
time passes.  Time is on your side.

Eighteen months is a long time over which to suffer from this
aggravating and depressing problem, but it can get better if you can
relax and allow more time to pass while getting on with your life as
best you can.  Easier said than done, I know.  But it can and will
happen for you.  Don't give up.

Good luck.

Joe

Yes, I understand completely what you are saying here.  It is hard to
explain to someone who doesn't have tinnitus what it's like to have this
strange sound in your head.

I'm sure also that the loud environment has caused this damage to your
ears.  Many people who work around loud machinery end up with tinnitus.  I
would suggest something more than just earplugs.  I wish I knew a source,
but I bet you could google some industrial ear protection that should keep
you from suffering further damage.  It is difficult for doctors to
diagnose the cause of tinnitus.  I'm afraid that their diagnosis would
simply be "noise damage."  Myself -- I can't take wearing earplugs for too
long, or I feel "trapped" inside my head with the noise.

Yes, I have the same problem.  Restaurants are particularly distressing
with so many conversations buzzing around you.  I find myself saying "huh?" a
lot.

I dunno if drinking will really help.  Some people find that it does, but
I don't tolerate alcohol well.  Please know that you are not alone, and we
are all here to help you.  There are some real good folks in here who know
a lot more about it than I do.  You might find some help by asking your
doctor about the occasional sleeping pill.  Getting a good night's sleep
is very important.

Relaxation is also very good.  It sounds too simple, but a lot of us can't
really totally relax and need some help with that.  I often listen to
self-hypnosis tapes that slowly and gently ease your body into a relaxed
state.

I've not had luck with masking, but my problem is differnt from yours.  My
tinnitus comes from a disease called Meniere's.  It took many, many tests
to determine I had this condition.

When you find yourself wanting to scream because the noise in your head is
so bothersome and frightening, get in the shower and let the water wash
over your head.  This helps me relax, and I can't hear the tinnitus when
the water is pouring on my head.  It's only a temporary relief, but it's
better than nothing.

Another thing that helps is your attitude.  Try to realize that the
tinnitus is not going to cause any damage to you -- I know it hurts and
it's distressing, but it really won't hurt you.  Try to focus on things
you enjoy doing, and let the tinnitus go to the back of your mind.

I hope this is of some help to you.  Please come back and tell us how
you're doing.  Do check out the industrial ear protection.  I think it's
important for you.  I've been dealing with this since October 4, 1994.  It
came out of the blue for me.  And I'm still alive!  Good luck and bless
your heart.   We do understand.

Eva

Read all my posts...

============================