Psychosomatic tinnitus

So I have a lot of health anxiety and this other day just out of nowhere I started to fear getting tinnitus.. I just couldn't let go of the fear and slowly I actually started to get it. I've had it on and off for like a week now and I struggle to figure out how to deal with it. I try to tell myself it's psychosomatic and that it will go away if I just accept it and stop fearing it, but I just can't let go of the fear. Anyone here got any tips on what to do, or anyone who has successfully got rid of tinnitus? If so, how did you do it?

 

Hi @HopethereisHope , You know intellectually that this is psychosomatic (tinnitus is pretty common as well) so when it distracts you, you just have to remind yourself that there's no damage to your ears and you are totally fine. Then you have to shift your thoughts from the physical to the psychological...ask yourself what you were just thinking about and check in with yourself emotionally. What emotions are you repressing? What stressors are going on in your day to day life that is generating anxiety? When you address the root causes of the anxiety, and you lose the fear, you cut off the neural circuit loop of fear-symptoms-fear-symptoms.

 

Thank you @miffybunny. Yes what you're saying makes sense. When I started fearing getting tinnitus I was already in a state of a lot of anxiety due to a flair up of my pelvic pain so I guess that had something to do with it.

What's really funny is that now that I'm all caught up with this tinnitus stuff I barely feel any pelvic pain haha -- it's so obvious that it's my fears/anxiety that is creating this stuff.

Now I'm really anxious that this tinnitus stuff will get worse though and I'm not sure if I should keep distracting myself from the sound or just accept it and let it be.

Edit: In essence, I'm scared that if I listen too much on the sound it will just increase and get worse..

thus, is the best tactic here to try to distract myself from it as much as possible and every time I start thinking about it just telling myself nothing is wrong and I'm fine, then shift to the psychological and emotional.

Or should I just let my mind listen to the sound every time it wants but still keep telling myself that I'm fine then shift to the psycological/emotional?

 

Hi HopethereisHope,

I am interested in miffybunny's reply, but meantime I'll say that there is no perfect way to do this. You have the general principles: focusing on a symptom, fearful that it will not go away is not helpful. And this includes trying to have the perfect TMS approach so that it will go away. "I'm already healthy and worrying about this symptom does not help." might be a good mantra every time it comes up. Fear is normal for us as humans. Learning to feel the fear and not believe in the catastrophic thinking that might accompany it, is very helpful in the TMS self-treatment process.

Welcome to the Forum and congratulations on your understanding and practice!

Andy

 

Thank you Andy. Wise words. I'm going to a therapist tomorrow that will help me stay on track with this new way of thinking. I'm so used to be in a negative and fearful state that my mind tries with all its might to bring me down everytime I try to think positive. However, if I just keep going I'm sure I will get better and better at staying positive.

 

Hi @HopethereisHope ,

I think it's more a matter of "accurate" thinking rather than positive thinking. Your thoughts need to be realistic or your brain won't buy into it. Somewhere between catastrophe and dancing through the tulips is truth and balance. In the beginning you will need to reach for slightly better feeling thoughts that are more reality based and work your way up from there to more empowering hopeful thoughts. I also don't think it's realistic to ignore symptoms. "Trying" to ignore them is actually in fact focusing on them. It's better to just accept they are there and remain indifferent to them and go about your business regardless....all the while shifting focus from the physical to the psychological.

 

same with me, how are you doing? mine comes and goes now, some times comes harder than other. This morning i woke up with out (like all the morgnings) but it came back a little later, this time last most, the other days just started ones i get up of my beth, this time i even take a shower and nothing, just before i sit on the pc i noticed ones more. kinda gives hopes that i´m on the right track but its harder, same for my other TMS symptoms and pains almost gone