I'm starting to get frustrated. I go out on a semi-regular basis, and unless I wear the full foam earplugs, I always worry during and after my outing, such as right now.

I can't get myself to relax, for the following reasons:

1. even when I go to places where the noise level was NOT excessive, I still wear hearing protection
2. when I do so, I still worry that it's not enough
3. I worry about anything and everything, such as the occlusion effect

Just when I get to the point of relaxing and enjoying and appreciating the beauty of my surroundings, I let the world frustrate me all over again, and I feel like I am climbing back up a mountain.

How do you cope?

I keep reminding myself " Tinnitus is nothing to even give a thought about it". I even don't wear ear plugs.

Dear Guy,
Maybe you need to change your approach and address the core issue which is your anxiety. Tinnitus and all that goes along with it has given a focus to your tendancy to worry even though you have taken all sensible precautions.

You quite clearly recognise the thought process which leads you the point where your feel like 'climbing back up the moutain'. So I would suggest any therapy that enables you to address your thought patterns and overcome them will help you cope.

Have you considered hypnotherapy or CBT? Hypnotherapy has a good track record with helping not only with coping with tinnitus itself but with phobias in general - all of which have their root in some form of fear or anxiety.

Having read your contributions over the last year, it is clear that you have made massive steps forward in being able to enjoy the world again, so inspite of the way you feel at the moment, I hope you can also recognise how well you've done so far.

Take care
Louise

Take care
Louise

I don't have health insurance so any therapy would be exorbitant in cost. I could go through some form of therapy on my own.

I just frustrate myself: I've gone to these places before and considered them lively environments, but never a danger to my hearing in any form whatsoever.

you have what i have its called the fear cycle. suddennly things you onceenjoyed become stressful situations and you find you can't enjoy yourself. If i'm in a pub with no music just peopel chatting i still think its damaging my ears, in fact i think everything is even dropping a bottle of water on the floor i think the bang will make my ears worse. I believethat tinnitus breeds anxiety and the only way to break the cycle is by relaxing. maybe try aromatherapy oils at night, i find my tinnitus masker that plays gentle nature sounds helps if i'm stressed. I dont actually wear earplugs as i have other ear problems as well as tinnitus which has made it worse so now i will wear them in noisy situations. good luck and dont give up hope

Just a quick point. I have tinnitus permanently, and I go clubbing every week. I wear professional earplugs in clubs and 'obvious' high noise environments, but never at any other time. Wearing earplugs for normal sound levels will damage your hearing in another way...phonophobia. Also hyperacusis can develop, where normal sounds such as plates, bottles and closing doors appear to hurt your ears. Don't let the tinnitus rule you. Have your hearing tested, if it ok then restrict the earplugs to noisy environments. I go raving every weekend with tinnitus, so i'm sure you will be fine

Sonny

I too suffered because of the same problem. I too depressed a lot because o various reasons in different situations. Later I found a good solution through hypnosis from thoughtsbecomereality.co.uk which cured my problem through hypnosis and hypnotherapy techniques. After trying hypnosis I found a good improvement in my self confidence and self control which helped me to be stress free.

Dear Guy,
I pretty much taught myself about CBT. It is not difficult, it just takes a bit of discipine to write down every negative thought that underpins your issue. Then you dismantle those thoughts by logic. In your situation, you would be addressing your belief that ordinary noise is damaging your ears.

Urusai recommended a book about CBT recently I think it is by Jane Henry and Peter Wilson, but am struggling to find a link for it, maybe you are better at google searches than me.
Louise