How to Manage Tinnitus Anxiety?
Anxiety can be a very troublesome feeling. Constantly feeling unsure and worried about what is going to happen is a thinking process that can cause a lot of stress. And, when you have a condition like Tinnitus, anxiety is almost inevitable. However, it is very important that you curb this anxiety as Tinnitus is a condition that feeds off anxiety. In other words, the worse your anxiety, the worse your Tinnitus is going to get. You can learn more about anxiety and why it is bad for you, here.
So, what are some tips to control Tinnitus anxiety?
Try to habituate
As long as you ask yourself why you have Tinnitus, you are going to be anxious. Tinnitus is a condition that can resolve on its own. Sometimes, treatments like vitamin supplements work. But, if you have tried everything and it has persisted, it might be time to habituate to it instead. Habituation is basically learning to live with a condition. Once you give this technique a chance, you will notice that Tinnitus is a lot more manageable than before. Anxiety associated with Tinnitus will also drastically come down. Stress then goes down. It’s a positive loop that will then help you a great deal.
Practice Meditation
A lot of people think meditation means that you have to have a blank mind. It isn’t the case at all. Even the best meditators keep thinking of thoughts. But, they don’t allow any thoughts to dictate how they feel. Simply try to let thoughts pass through your mind, without judging or investigating them. It will take time to meditate properly. But, start small and try to work your way up to longer durations.
Deep Breathe
Simply breathing deeply and deliberately will allow you to greatly reduce anxiety, especially when you are having an anxiety attack. When inhaling, push your stomach out so you breathe in while filling your stomach with air. Then, when you exhale, try to make your stomach touch your back, completely emptying out your lungs. If you deep breathe right, you will take just 10 to 15 breaths a minute. Contrastingly, when shallow breathing, you will take as many as 30 to 40 breaths a minute.
Consider medication
If all of the above fails, talk to your doctor about going on an anti-anxiety pill. But, please also know that anti-anxiety pills and antidepressants are ototoxic in nature. In other words, a wrongly chosen pill can worsen your Tinnitus, then giving you more anxiety.We would recommend that you first start off with teas that can calm your anxiety and stress. If that doesn’t work, you can talk to your doctor about going on prescription anti-anxiety pills.
Stay Hopeful
Tinnitus can be a chronic condition but it is also a condition that goes away for millions of people. Don’t be resigned to the fact that you will have to suffer from Tinnitus forever. In many cases, it is temporary. When it is temporary, you will experience these signs that Tinnitus is going away, over a few days.