Question:
I lurk about another group, traumatic-stress, and they're lately talking about
the merits (or lack thereof) of physical exercise for stress reduction. The
traditional point of view is that physical exercise tires you out and reduces
stress. I recall reading a posting on alt-support-tinnitus indicating that
physical exercise does result in an initial increase in the loudness of T, but
that the general high obtained (endorphins?) through a strenuous work-out makes
one able to tolerate the T much more easily.
There have been some posting on the traumatic-stress group suggesting that
physical exercise increases arousal in general and can exacerbate symptoms
in traumatic-stress patients. Some of these folks are proposing that
meditative exercises, such as Tai Chi, or perhaps biofeedback, may be better for
reducing stress in post-traumatic stress patients.
Long ago when I studied meditation I recall that there are allegedly two internal
sounds one hears as he/she reaches deep relaxation. One is a very low
frequency, about one beat per minute, and that is the sound of one's heart. The
other is a very high frequency, and that I recall being told, that is the sound
of one's thoughts (=T ?).
Any comments about the relative merits of approaching stress reduction (and
hopefully subjective tinnitus reduction) through physical exercise, deep
relaxation techniques and/or drugs (Valium, Xanax, Tranxene, etc.)?
Answer:
I think much about dealing with stress has to do with one's attitude. When I'm
exercising, I feel good about myself because I know that I'm doing something
good for my health. This positive attitude helps me to deal with any negative
things that might be occuring in my life at the moment. I don't feel that it
has anything to do with endorphins or being exhausted after exercising (I
usually don't workout that hard). I find that if I keep myself busy with
activities that are constructive, I feel that I am accomplishing something that
is positive and this keeps my mind off of other, stressful things. The less
time I spend thinking about my tinnitus, the less it bothers me, and the less
stressed out I get over it. Meditation is a great way to relax and relieve
stress, however, it can be difficult for T sufferers to use since you usually
have to be in a quite environment which tends to make the T more noticeable.
Maybe someone out there has suggestions to make meditation more suitable for
T sufferers?
Mike,
I both exercise and meditate. I started meditation years before my T, so
I had the skills already. I also used to partake in flotation tanks,
ie altered states! The tanks are something that I have given up due to the
T. Meditation I still enjoy. If you can and that is a big IF. Try and
accept the T noise as a natural NORMAL part of your body or "being". If
you try and meditate and keep hearing this unatural ringing... you will
not be able to focus or meditate! If however you just "hear" the ringing
as you would hear your breathing or hear your heartbeat well then it
becomes tolerable and you can get past it! Don't give up. Another tool
to try is to focus on the sound of your ringing as you would focus on
your breathing...Don't get anxiety over the fact that there is ringing
just let your mind hear the ringing NOT JUDGE it! As you focus on the
ringing your mind will wonder and drift off into alpha waves...
meditation!!! Good luck.. As for exercise, I have found it to be
very beneficial, I also use the sauna religiously. I find that it
helps relax me and get my blood flowing. Both very good for T
I take a Psychosynthesis class led by Dr. Spencer Sherman, and have found
it quite helpful. As part of the class, he leads guided meditations using
material taken from the Psychosynthesis book "What We May Be" by Piero
Ferrucci (Tarcher/Perigree Books, $10.95 paper).
One of the meditation approaches is to simply be aware of all stumuli,
thus freeing us from attachment to any one of them. From page 65 of the
book: "We dis-identify by observing. Instead of being absorbed by
sensations, feelings, desires, thoughts, we observe them objectively
without judging them, without wanting to change them, without interfering
with them in any way."
Our class meets in a room adjacent to a jewelry class, where people are
sawing, banging, filing, and creating all forms of loud, sudden and
potentially annoying sounds. Yet during meditations, all that stimulus
becomes part of our effort to be aware of everything. I find it quite
difficult to remain aware of my tinnitus, and have often lost track of it
for hours after the sitting. Even when I don't, it's simply another thing
to observe, and it no longer bothers me at all.
I don't know if this is what you were looking for, but it feels like a
sound approach for me.
