Tinnitus retraining therapy or TRT as it is known is a form of habituation therapy where the person suffering from Tinnitus actually stops hearing the noises in their head unless they consciously listen for them. This therapy while expensive, has proved effective and brought relief to a number of sufferers of this condition.
Why This Therapy Works
Many people wonder why this therapy works when so many other treatments for Tinnitus fail. The answer is really quite simple, the therapy is based on what the human mind does automatically in most cases anyway and that is the unconscious but automatic blocking of many noises around us.
For example, our refrigerators, air conditioners and fans that we use on a regular basis all make noise. In most cases when these machines first start we may hear the noise of them kicking in, but, after a few seconds we no longer hear the noise it ceases to exist unless we actively listen for those sounds. It is simply there in the background unheard.
What Makes Tinnitus Sounds Different?
The best way to explain what makes Tinnitus sounds different and harder to ignore is to consider that sound the air conditioner makes once again. The reason we cease to hear it after the first few seconds is because the sound it makes is a natural one to us and indicates that the machine is working as it should be so we simply don’t hear it.
However, should the machine begin to malfunction and the sound it makes change even slightly in pitch we instantly become aware of the sound it makes because that sounds means that all is not right and that something is wrong with the machine which instantly puts us on alert because the new sound has a negative connotation.
The same is true of the the sounds the Tinnitus sufferer hears. These sounds have a negative connotation to them and tells them something is wrong, that things are not working normally. This makes them hyper alert to the sounds in their head which to them are a connotation that something is wrong with them. This fear that all is not right, is what makes these sounds so alarming and difficult to block either subconsciously or consciously.
The key to tinnitus therapy
The key to Tinnitus therapy therefore is getting the tinnitus sufferer to first accept and view the sounds in their head as natural and to rid them of the negative feelings associated with them. The first step, is getting them to understand while everyone may not hear these same noises, that does mean that they are not normal or that something is wrong.
In fact, most Tinnitus sufferers who visit a doctor have no medical condition that causes their tinnitus. Once tumors or hearing problems are ruled out, most sufferers begin to wonder if they are hearing these signs because they are losing their minds. Reassuring them, that these sounds are natural to some people the same way some people are natural redheads will help the sufferer accept the sounds as part of who they are without the negative connotations.
The removal of those negative connotations and the acceptance of these sounds as normal is the key to Tinnitus Retraining Therapy.
In many cases getting rid of the negative connotation is a long process taking a year or two to achieve. However, once it is achieved many tinnitus sufferers often report that the sounds they hear have suddenly decreased in volume. This decrease is because with the worry removed that there is something “wrong” the noise the sufferer now hears ceases to be so annoying.
It is at this point that the therapist can begin to help the Tinnitus sufferer habituate the sounds in their head so that they no longer hear them unless they listen for them.
Tinnitus retraining
Tinnitus Retraining consists mainly of constant white noise in the background which helps to lessen the impact of the sounds the Tinnitus sufferer hears in their head and individual therapy.
The combination of these two things once the negative feelings surrounding the tinnitus is removed allow the tinnitus sufferer to slowly regulate the noise in their head to that of the smooth working air conditioner. The sounds are still there, the sufferer simply does not hear them because the sounds no longer generate a cause for alarm or signal that something is “wrong” It simply becomes a part of who they are.
Tinnitus retraining therapy is one of the most interesting leaps made in tinnitus research in the last several decades. Since its arrival in the late 1980s, tinnitus retraining therapy, or TRT, has enjoyed a great amount of success.It is rooted in psychological and auditory ideas and hence, it attacks the roots of tinnitus.
TRT does not try to take away tinnitus.Instead, it alters the manner in which tinnitus is perceived. This is done in two ways. One, the person is put through counseling and two, the person is exposed to sounds that will cause tinnitus habituation.
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Whenever you go through TRT, you will first have to go through auditory tests.The tests will trigger your tinnitus symptoms, and also your responses. Something very interesting will happen during this process.
Whenever you are exposed to noise in the ear you have tinnitus in, the symptoms will worsen, much as you would expect. However, the same thing will happen whenever you are exposed to noise in the ear that doesn’t have tinnitus.
The cause for this is that your mind is trained to associate noises with the pain of tinnitus.This happens even though it should not.Your brain, not your ears, are causing the tinnitus.The brain is telling you to respond strongly to the sounds.
After your tests are run, you will be set up with a counselor.Additionally, you will receive an audio device that transmits low level broadband sounds. This is all part of retraining.
The idea is your brain has emotional reposes to the tinnitus. You associate it with something bad.By altering the associations, you can alter your responses.
Think about all the sounds you hear on a daily basis that are not bothersome. The air conditioner, for instance, is not bothersome when it kicks on. The same could be true for tinnitus with proper retraining.
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The tinnitus sounds are still present, but you will hear them differently. They will be more like the air conditioner running than something that aggravates you.
As the process is very extensive, it be nearly two years before it is completed.The success rate is very high for those that stick to the program. While it does not work for everyone, there have been many people that have been helped through this therapy.
The reason this works is because tinnitus is not really based in the ear. While that is where the symptoms manifest, the ear is not the real problem. In reality, tinnitus is an issue with the body, and that includes the brain. The more the brain gets involved with tinnitus, the worse the symptoms can become. Retraining therapy works to take the brain out of the equation.
Tinnitus retraining therapy has allowed many people to get their lives back. It focuses on the psychology of tinnitus and gives people coping strategies so they can deal with the problem of tinnitus.It is not a cure for tinnitus, but it is a potent means for coping with it. It completely changes the way people think and helps them ignore tinnitus.
Those that are in pain from tinnitus are aggravated by the phantom noises can get relief through retraining.
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Treatment theories range extensively for Tinnitus Including vitamins and supplements, Sound Therapy, hypnosis and self help techniques in addition to other masking options to cover up your Tinnitus. Unfortunately, some individuals believe that Tinnitus in fact, cannot be cured at all but that you have to constantly treat it indefinitely. According to my research of Tinnitus and patient outcomes, it seems everyone is different in the results they experience from treatments. Some become completely cured while others seem to need constant maintenance for the treatment. There doesn’t seem to be any rime or reason to it, that’s just how this problem seems to work. In this section, I will elaborate on Tinnitus Retraining Therapy, how it works and why many people seem to be choosing it over all the other options.
To describe it in the simplest form, sound therapy is a method used to retrain your brain to different sounds and ignore the constant one’s it is hearing. They try to stretch your range in registering sound and tuning out the constant ringing or whooshing, etc. that you might be hearing. The process includes listening to a set of prearranged sounds directly through earphones or via a high def sound system. These sounds can consist of clicks and pauses or can be more elaborate with different nature sounds or other scenarios. Regardless of which type you listen to, the frequencies in the sounds are what makes your ears and brain retrain to tune out your Tinnitus. These sounds can be created custom for your own scenario or you can get generic sound therapy treatment Cd’s and experiment on which one gives you the most relief.
Some people receive relief from their Tinnitus in as little as a couple of weeks and others can take more time, as long as 3-5 months. Regardless of how long it takes, you should continue to listen to the sounds every day or night to keep the Tinnitus at bay. Just before you go to sleep is a great time to listen to the sound therapy Cd’s. This way you aren’t distracted in other activities and your brain can really register what it is hearing. Additionally, there has also been research in the idea of your brain learning subconsciously while you are sleeping. This has been proved with things such as learning another language, or studying for a test. Why wouldn’t it work for sound therapy?
Unfortunately, like many other things, sound therapy as a cure for Tinnitus is not guaranteed but many people do have success with it. Tinnitus is so subjective in each person that it could require a completely different treatment. At any rate, do not give up on treatment all together if sound therapy doesn’t work for you. Simply move on the the next best option and eventually you will find what works for you.