support for those with tinnitus

When I began this project, I truly had no idea how many people I knew had been affected by tinnitus.

I have to confess; before I started writing here, I was under the impression that my dad was the only person that I knew with tinnitus. I figured that my mother, my children and I were unique in our experience of being the loved ones of someone suffering with tinnitus. I really did think that.

I also assumed that if someone were to actually read this blog, that this would be a whole new concept to them, this thing called 'tinnitus'. I figured they would be learning something new.

Not so, as it turns out.

I have to tell you that the number of messages I've received from friends saying they think they have tinnitus, or know someone with tinnitus has been startling.

One such message came from one of my closest friends. I had no idea! All these years that we've known one another, all the time we've spent together and it had never come up in conversation. I haven't spoken to him about it since I received his message. However, in the days that followed I have found myself thinking about him, and wondering about the severity of his suffering. I wonder how he copes. Knowing him as I do, he probably just puts one foot in front of the other and tries to ignore it. I know this is how my dad dealt with it for a while. By trying to pretend it wasn't there, and hoping it would just go away.

And you know as well as I do (from experience, for sure), that this tactic of ignoring the problem until it goes away works only with annoying co-workers and strange noises that your car makes - not tinnitus.

So, I'm posting some links here, because there is help. There is LOADS of information on tinnitus both on the web and in print.

As I had mentioned in a previous post, tinnitus is subjective and therefore it can be difficult to convey to people what you are dealing with. And I know it can be frustrating to try to relate this information to someone who has no understanding of what it is you are going through. There are piles of professionals to consult on this.

The Canadian Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Center offers support and information to its patients on the management of their tinnitus, their main focus being on Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT). TRT uses noise generators such as hearing aids, white noise and recordings to train the patient to 'not' hear sounds produced by their tinnitus. The center reports that 80% of the patients who have received TRT have achieved success. My dad could probably elaborate on this topic (TRT) in a later post.

The Canadian Hearing Society may also be a good place to start, if you need support or information. There is a branch, locally in Belleville. Their contact information is here.

The Tinnitus Association of Canada is a 'registered charity, operated on a voluntary basis, with the guide of scientific advisors', based out of Toronto. They are dedicated to improving the understanding and treatment of tinnitus. The Association publishes material containing invaluable information on how people have dealt with, or are dealing with their tinnitus. I have received their package in the mail and found their exchange bulletin to be both informative and enlightening. I would strongly encourage anyone interested in receiving these documents to contact the association directly. I, personally have exchanged correspondence with Elizabeth Eayrs at the Association, who is a wealth of knowledge, and was a great help to me in planning this whole project.

As you can see, there are so many resources available, whether it is just information you're after, or if you or someone you love would benefit from talking to someone about tinnitus.

Don't pretend it's not there - do some research. Learn something about what you're going through. You're definitely not alone.