There is a step to Tinnitus treatment that many people over look.
This step is counseling.
The majority of practitioners will tell you that in order to partake in tinnitus retraining therapy it is imperative that the patient receive directive counseling as part of the therapeutic process.
Through the therapy process the individual is directed on how the ear is able to hear, how the sound waves are able to be converted into mechanical energy and then transformed to electrical energy, and how deafness and tinnitus can be related to each other.
The patient will be able to master the symptoms associated with Tinnitus when given the proper teaching tools and education.
As individuals we are habituated toward the non-threatening stimuli instead of their threatening counterparts.
The whole purpose of directive counseling is to help guide the individuals toward not being in fear of the tinnitus.
On a rational level this may seem relatively simple to accomplish; however, it is going to take a lot of directive counseling to be able to ease the mind completely when thinking about tinnitus and its effects on the person.
One of the disadvantages to overcome through directive counseling is that the more a patient focuses on the condition, the more pronounced the tinnitus will become.
There is still one question that remains, how can someone receive all of the information about tinnitus without actually taking the time to think about the condition itself? This is where therapists have come into play and started including refocusing therapy as part of the retraining therapy.
The whole point of retraining therapy is to be able to take your mind off of the condition itself.
They encourage individuals to think about something that is enjoyable to them instead of the tinnitus.
It is often a lot easier said than it is done, which is why there is a need for professional therapy to enter into the picture.
There are some patients that have reported an increase in the tinnitus symptoms when they are feeling stressed.
This is the reason why some of the therapists will also incorporate relaxation therapy as a part of the treatment program.
Not only will this approach help to be able to reduce stress in general and stress arising out of the condition itself, but it is also going to improve your ability to be able to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Call your Audiologist today to talk to them about this treatment.