Common Mistakes People Make with Tinnitus

Please note that you are not at fault if you have done these. They are so common that we can safely assume that most humans are just built this way! If you recognise any though, try and be mindful of what is happening so you can tackle it.

1. Focus on the signal

Tinnitus is not sound, it is a faulty signal in your brain. It’s natural to focus on the cause of a sound, such as a squeaky car seat, to see if you can fix it. Once you realise something cannot be ‘fixed’ as such, there is nothing to be gained from focusing in on it. Hearing is subjective, which means when we concentrate on a sound, it seems louder. This is a pivotal reason why tinnitus gets worse for some and not for others.

2. Don’t ask for help

Ask for help! Being alone with a concern can be an extra burden. There are quality resources out there, just for people like you. Take advantage of them. Doctor, audiologists, Tinnitus UK charity. There’s no one size fits all, but you can find tailored help.

3. Imagine you’re the only one with tinnitus

If you don’t talk about it at all, you can easily feel like the only person in the world with this condition. More than 1 in 10 have tinnitus, and chances are that many of the people you see each month have it. Stripping tinnitus of its power over an individual is easier when they realise they are one of millions. It’s not about telling them they aren’t important and unique - because everyone is. It’s about perspective, that you are one of a massive group, all of whom are having good and bad periods. You are not alone, even if you never meet.

4. Read about it endlessly

The internet has many uses, but ‘going down the rabbit hole’ on a topic is strictly an internet-age thing. Used to be a time when the reference library only had 2 books that mentioned your subject. Now you can spend all day every day reading the worst case scenarios on any medical condition. Fear and stress are generated, and with a condition like tinnitus it is like pouring petrol on a fire. It makes it worse, for longer.

5 Catastrophise

I’ll hold my hands up and admit to being a catastrophiser. We can get snippy about it, or we can realise that our personality trait means we frequently see the worst happening. When we reflect, we realise that only some of those things came to pass, but we wasted hours, days and months wondering about the worse possible outcome. Trust me, there are less than 2% of people who struggle long term with tinnitus. If your first thought when you hear that statistic is ‘I’ll be one of those 2%’ then you’re catastrophising with no evidence. 98% get a handle on their tinnitus and barely hear it after that. You can be one of them.

6. Take the advice of the first person you see

If the first person you see gives you no hopeful message, please disregard it. In an ideal world, you would receive a balanced viewpoint and a set of resources. We’re not there yet, but Tinnitus UK and audiologists/psychologists and counsellors are becoming a growing body of people who will help you.

7. Imagine your tinnitus is worse than anyone else’s

This is so important. The worst tinnitus in the world is not a certain pitch or subjective volume level. The worst tinnitus is the one which impacts the patient day in day out. You may have the worst impact of anyone in the world, but the problem (tinnitus) is the same for everyone, more or less. You can be helped to habituate just as easily as the next person, and I have never met anyone and thought ‘no, it’s not going to work for them, their tinnitus is just too severe’. It’s not like that.

I hope this will resonate with some of you. Please don’t despair about tinnitus, there is a plan that will improve life for every one of you. Take a moment to read my other posts, and if you need help please get in touch. I still do one or two affordable, one-off, private patient consults/treatments a week. These are in-person or by online video call, and although there may be a wait, you can contact me to get information and book a 1:1 Active Habituation session. I have found that simply knowing help is coming can be enormously helpful to those who are suffering distress.

Before you spend money on supplements, please check out my other posts and the helpful resource page at Tinnitus UK.

Best,

Sally Jackson BSc Audiology RHAD MSHAA

Senior Audiologist and Tinnitus Consultant