Education and Support:
My Tools for Tinnitus Management
By Chris Bedford ATA member since 2010
Sometimes, it feels like I am perpetually living in a summer evening. For some, this may sound idyllic; but for me, it is an ongoing challenge. You see, I have chronic tinnitus and it constantly sounds like 10,000 cicadas are inside my head, in full summer song, screeching 24 hours a day.
My name is Chris Bedford. I’m 67 years old and live in New Zealand. I’ve been dealing with tin- nitus since 2008. Like you, I understand the fear and frustration caused by tinnitus—a condition that seems to come from nowhere and which can quickly consume your life. Fortunately, I’ve learned to manage my tinnitus by working with trained audiologists, through self education, and with the support of my loved ones.
I first noticed tinnitus while on vacation. (What an awful souvenir to bring home!) At the time, I didn’t even know the word for what I was expe- riencing. “I’ve got a funny buzzing sound in my head,” I told my wife. “Yes,” she replied, “It’s called tinnitus.”
For the next year, I was only slightly aware of the new noise in my head. This all changed March 9, 2009 at 1:00 am. I awoke with a screaming, roaring noise in my ears, significantly louder than anything I had experienced before. A massive anxiety attack followed as I tried to make sense of what was going on. The next day I had an emergency doctor appointment but it was of little use. I was devastat- ed and my loved ones were concerned that I might seriously harm myself. That was a real possibility at that time… I remember walking along the local beach and contemplating walking into the sea.
10 Tinnitus Today | Summer 2014 Three things saved me from those dark thoughts:
1. The regular demands of my work At the time, I was the minister of the local Methodist Church in Dargaville, New Zealand. This kept me very busy and helped distract me from the constant, unwelcomed companion in my head.
2. A caring wife who refused to let me wallow in self-pity A loving, compassionate spouse is the best support group a tinnitus patient can have! My wife helped me focus on solutions for my tinnitus, rather than dwelling on the problem.
3. The practical, understanding counseling of health professionals trained in tinnitus management I was fortunate to connect with Joan Saunders, QSM, herself a long-term tinnitus sufferer and founder of the New Zealand Tinnitus Association. I also received help from another audiologist who recommended high tech hear- ing aids. They don’t take away the tinnitus but enable me to hear a lot more sounds in the world around me, and so provide a natural mask for the noise in my head.
After I was out of the crisis stage, I took it upon myself to learn as much as I could about this new affliction that had arrived in my life. I was determined to look at every treatment available. Big claims were advertised (and they continue to be!), but I was suspicious—where were the research findings to back up those claims? I wanted to see the rigorous and peer-reviewed outcomes data. I wanted to know what cures were on the horizon. I was a man on a mission!
I discovered the American Tinnitus Association, the British Tinnitus Association, and the Tinnitus Research Initiative, and started receiving their newsletters. I was blown away—and remain so—by the amount of committed research that is being undertaken in the quest to find a cure for tinnitus. I tell other tinnitus patients about this at every opportunity.
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