This article is presented in its entirety with permission.
A tinnitus sufferer can't escape the constant sounds, but she can learn to tolerate them.
BY JACQUELINE STENSON
Special to the Times
Many people with tinnitus hear the classic ringing in the ears. For Jennifer Snell, it's more like a maddening cacophony of some of the world's most irritating noises.
"What I have in my head nonstop is the sound of fingernails on metal and the sound of a really high pitched teakettle and the sound of a hiss, like pressure coming through a tiny hole," says Snell, 48, who lives in Redondo Beach with her husband. They're bot retired from the insurance business.
Patients with tinnitus (pronounced ti-NIGHT-us or TIN-it-us) may also hear buzzing, humming, clicking, pulsing and whooshing. The sounds can seem to come from one or both ears, even the whole head, and they can be intermittent or continuous.
Nobody knows exactly what causes the phantom noises of tinnitus, a condition estimated to affect more than 50 million Americans, about 12 million of whom seek help for it, according to the American Tinnitus Association.
Tinnitus is commonly associated with noise-induced hearing loss. Other possible factors include cardiovascular problems, jaw misalignment, some medications, earwax buildup, ear and sinus infections, head and neck trauma and, in rare cases, head tumors.
The Din Within: Jennifer Snell meditates with a CD to help manage her tinnitus. In addition, she takes medications and reads self-help publications, such as Tinnitus: Turning the Volume Down, by Kevin Hogan, and Tinnitus Today, which featured William Shatner, a tinnitus sufferer.
Snell's noises began in her right ear and throughout her head after she had a root canal in January 2002. "That's when my life ended as I knew it," she says.
Not knowing why she was hearing noised that nobody else heard or what to do about them, she holed up at home. "I spent hours sitting in my bedroom closet, rocking back and forth with a heating pad around my head and just crying," she says. "I wrapped my head up and thought that would help."
But the intrusive noises didn't go away.
Suspecting there might be something in her ear, Snell tried in vain to wash it away. "I kept cleaning my ear out with baking soda and warm water," she says.
The noises persisted - and the anxiety grew. "It's like being in your house and the fire alarm goes off and it never stops." says Snell. "It creates an inner anxiety."
Previously she had run five miles a day, participated in 10Ks and worked out at the gym four times a week. But she stopped exercising altogether when the noises began. The intense anxiety also prevented her from driving. She could barely sleep or eat.
Normally weighing 110 pounds, the 5-foot-4 inch Snell quickly began losing weight, eventually shedding almost 20 pounds.
Desperate for relief, she sought medical help but was shocked at what some doctors told her.
"I went to an ENT (ear, nose and throat doctor) who said, 'You'll just learn to live with it' and another who said 'You're probably just going through menopause,'" she says.
Being told there was no help only fueled her anxiety. "I was just in a panic," she says.
Her husband suggested an appointment with his primary care physician, Dr. Robert Glazer in Torrance, who, much to her relief, said there was in fact help.
"Most of the time this is something that at some level you have to get used to and come to terms with," Glazer says. "But it's not that there's nothing you can do about it."
He says it's important to first rule out any suspicious underlying factors, such as tumors or uncontrolled high blood pressure. With no signs of such problems in Snell, he prescribed an anti-anxiety medication and sleeping pills, and referred her to a therapist for what turned out to be a yearlong course of biofeedback and hypnosis to help her relax and learn to cope better with the noises. When the sleeping pills didn't help, Snell switched to the antidepressant Elavil, which she says helped her finally get some rest.
She also went for massages to aid relaxation. And because silence can turn up the phantom noises, she began using low background sounds, such as the television and New Age music, to help mask them. At night, she uses a sound box that plays audio of ocean waves crashing, streams babbling and the wind blowing.
There is no single cure-all for tinnitus, no pill or surgery that promises a quick fix. Like Snell, many patients combine various treatments and self-help measures. Additional approaches include tinnitus retraining therapy (a method that uses sounds and counseling to help "retrain" the brain to block out the noises), acupuncture, hearing aids (for people with hearing loss, to bring back ambient noises that help mask the tinnitus), antiseizure medicines and antihistamines.
Today, Snell is still taking the Elavil and the anti-anxiety medication Xanax. She also practices self-hypnosis and meditation at home and continues to rely on white noise around the clock. She limits herself to one cup of coffee a day, because caffeine is believed to worsen tinnitus.
She's now much more at ease. The noises in her had haven't gone quiet, but she has gradually learned how to cope with the tinnitus and minimize its interference with her life.
"I began to view it more as regular noise - like hearing wind chimes or a car down the street - and that took away a lot of the fear," she says.
Snell has resumed many of the activities she enjoyed before the tinnitus started, such as running every day and training at the gym.
Some activities require adjustment. She can't go out to dinner at busy restaurants because loud noise aggravates her condition. So when she dines out, she goes earlier, when it's quieter. And with the help of earplugs and special headphones to block loud background noise, she can even accompany her husband to some USC football games.
Some days are better than others for Snell. But the condition doesn't control her life anymore.
"Now I pretty much view this as a truck going by outside," she says. "It helps me to realize it's just noise, and it's there."
Where to get help
See the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) below.
American Tinnitus Association. For information about tinnitus and listings of healthcare providers in your area, go to www.ata.org or call (800) 634-8978.
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. For information about this and other conditions, go to www.nidcd.nih.gov.
Los Angeles Tinnitus Group. A support group that meets the third Saturday of the month (except July, August and December) from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at 200 UCLA Medical Plaza, Room 206A. Contact Nelly Nigro at (310) 474-9689.
Self Help for Hard of Hearing People. For a list of local chapters, call (301) 657-2248 or go to www.shhh.org.
Tinnitus FAQ
The Tinnitus FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
by Kevin Hogan, Psy.D.
If you have been looking for a tinnitus cure, tinnitus treatment or therapy, please feel free to read the all the tinnitus information below. If you want to know how important the cause of your tinnitus is to the process of tinnitus reduction or remission, that will be addressed below as well.
(The correct spelling for tinnitus is not tinitis or tinitus). For information about tinnitus related programs, see Tinnitus Related Programs. Updated December 26, 2008
These are common questions I have received in the mail and by e-mail from thousands of people over the past few years. Most have been
paraphrased and edited to make them publishable. I think you already know that this FAQ is not to be taken as medical advice. Please see your medical doctor for medical care! Everything in this FAQ assumes you have moderate to severe tinnitus. Therapy for non-intrusive (not bothersome) tinnitus that is mild or mild to moderate is different.
Can I get cured from tinnitus too?
It depends on what you mean by cured. In my experience, if cure means silent, near silent or significantly
improved, then yes, almost everyone can...with a
multimodal approach in their healing process.
Silence? Maybe. 35-40% of my clients have reported tinnitus remission as of now. I imagine half of those would have remitted "naturally." 100% noise elimination/remission is certain for some people. As time goes on the percentage of my clients reporting silence at similar time intervals in the past is growing.
How did you get better?
Medication, osteopathy, hypnotherapy, habituation, self hypnosis, ginkgo,
wearing a splint for my TMJ, and major lifestyle changes. This is covered
in detail in the book Tinnitus: Turning the Volume Down. By the way, I did lots of things that didn't work. Tens of thousands of dollars of things that didn't work.
What was the most important part of your healing process?
Support from my wife was very important. Xanax, Zoloft and Osteopathy (really!). It was probably Ginkgo that got rid of one pulsatile sound (again...really!), self hypnosis eventually took the place of sleeping
pills and helped the habituation process...and frankly, was far more successful than I thought possible. If I had to pick one, it would be Xanax, but all were very
important.
What is tinnitus and why can't anyone seem to help?
Tinnitus is any noise or set of sounds heard that is generated in the ear, hearing system or brain. Everyone from medical doctors to alternative practitioners look in the ear for tinnitus. That's a good place to start. However...It isn't there in most cases. That's why they "can't do anything." Had they known to look in the right place they would have found it. It's in the brain. ENT's have told you for years, "There's nothing I can do, you'll have to learn to live with it." The reasons there is nothing THEY can do is because they currently aren't prepared to deal with problems that occur in the brain... And...by the way, tinnitus is not a significant brain "malfunction." More often than not it is a persistent memory (in my experience most cases) much like phantom limb pain. Anyone who treats tinnitus as a disorder of the ear when testing shows nothing dramatically wrong with hearing (deafness), will indeed fail in helping the person who suffers.
Can hypnosis cure my tinnitus?
Hypnosis with the tinnitus skilled therapist (and I have five fingers the names of those people) in conjunction with a well designed management and reduction program just might do that but hypnotherapy isn't magic. Do NOT expect results today. And certainly don't see someone because "they are local." In the United States, to my knowledge, only Ron Stubbs (WA) and Bob Bayliss (TN) are successfully working with people to this point. Those who knew what they were doing became overwhelmed and burnt out. It's stressful to be a therapist who works with clients who suffer greatly from tinnitus. Nothing is more difficult. Therapists aren't trained for tinnitus. (Who is?)Sometimes people who do hypnotherapy for a living think that hypnosis will magically turn down noise, today...Rarely does it work that way.
Unfortunately most therapists (of any kind) have no significant experience in helping people with tinnitus short or long term. (One session of hypnosis is like taking one week of Xanax. It will do nothing.) There are studies that have been duplicated several times that
note that over 69% of people using well designed self hypnosis programming experience long term
significant reduction in tinnitus volume. I took that research and first used it to help myself get well, then made available to the public just such a program. But why would we only utilize one modality? Whenever possible, think multi-modal. If self hypnosis is of interest to you, yes, I did create The Tinnitus Reduction Program and their is info at the bottom of the FAQ.
You don't need to be a guinea pig to test anyone's treatment method. If you do single track therapy you will come to me in two years telling me how much you regret it. I hear this...every day. "
Do you recommend Neurontin and Klonopin for Tinnitus?
It appears that Neurontin combined with a benzodizapene will help the majority of people with tinnitus. Abraham Shulman conducted a study with good follow up that had decent results. And when it comes to research, I believe and trust everything he publishes. My belief is that some dosage of Neurontin combined with a low dose of Klonopin perhaps (0.25-0.5 mg three times per day) might cause significant improvement in the majority of people who suffer. Whether the results will be as good as those of Xanax alone I certainly don't know. I have had clients report positive and negative results. If Xanax didn't have the desired outcome after say, six months, I probably would be very supportive of this regime as a back up plan in the realm of medication for treatment.
Can you recommend a doctor/therapist locally here in my country, city, state?
I used to make recommendations. All I got were a bunch of angry tinnitus sufferers. So no, I probably won't recommend someone, especially "locally" or "near you." Tinnitus is not a sore throat that anyone can help you with. It's the most complex issue a person can suffer from because there is essentially no external data to work with and the distress levels are often maddening.... Just about everyone I referred to therapists and doctors in the 90's wrote back and told me after a couple of months that they were making no progress. Their doctor/therapist wouldn't help or didn't know what to do. Worse: A lot of people blew thousands of dollars for nothing. Now I tell people: DO go see your doctor. She CAN help you. But...she may not know what to do because she simply wasn't trained in tinnitus reduction work. If you have severe tinnitus, prepare to travel for a three day session, perhaps with someone I've trained and coached. (I get no residual, it's not ethical or legal, I get the knowledge to know factually that you will actually improve. You send me Christmas card. I am happy.) Locations: Seattle (Ron Stubbs), North Carolina (Elizabeth Nahum) and up and coming in Tennessee (Bob Bayliss). That's it at the moment. No kidding. In England, contact Mair Llewellyn at the http://wwwTickhillclinic.com/ . My friend Terry Watts in London has experience as well. For others in the U.K., see my link a few questions below this one. I won't send you to anyone who I haven't got all the faith and certainty in the world in. So please, don't ask for a referral. Talk to your medical doctor FIRST.
Read this FAQ, see your doctor ask her for help. Ask your doctor to visit this page. I work with a lot of physicians, internists, audiologists, ENT's, even nurse practitioners, and other great people. If they (or anyone) give you the cold shoulder, go to another doctor who will do everything in her power to help you. No one but you is inside of your head. Therapists, doctors, whoever...no one knows what severe tinnitus is like until they have had it. So for the most part, ...sorry to say...they will give you lousy advice.... Ask them to help you and YOU take control of your therapeutic tasking and future. It's your life and believe me, they have NO CLUE what it is like to be in YOUR HEAD.
I have tinnitus: what should I do?
If you’ve had tinnitus less than two years, you need to see your doctor for an MRI. I have seen cases where a person became deaf due to incorrect medical treatment. Get a CT scan if you can’t afford an MRI. An MRI will reveal more about the brain to the astute professional though, so, I’d opt for an MRI. Either test will find a tumor and anyone who has been in this business has seen the results of what can happen when an MRI is not given and the worst case happens. Both of my clients who
had tumors had more typical tests when their tumors apparently were in
their infancy. Call me overly protective of my clients, or promoting
unnecessary tests, I won’t see ANYONE who hasn’t ruled out tumor with 100%
certainty. 2 in 1000 or however many people I’ve seen in the last
few years is two too many. Don’t worry, it will almost certainly come back
negative and you will feel great once it’s over!
Then have a blood chemistry performed. Are you diabetic? Are you hypoglycemic? Is there an imbalance we need to be aware of? See if getting this area of your life in balance reduces tinnitus volume.
Find out if you are zinc deficient or anemic. Zinc deficiency
does happen sometimes among my elderly clients but has never occurred in one of
my under-50 clients. I’m not a mineral expert, just find out and if you’re
in need of supplement, ask your medical doctor what to do.
Get an audiological work up and spend some time with your ENT.
It makes complete sense to get checked out thoroughly. Find out where your hearing
loss is, if you have any. About half of my clients have some minor
hearing loss. (I'll be frank: I see no correlation between hearing loss and moderate to severe tinnitus OR hyperacusis. None.) Never assume your tinnitus is being generated in your
"hearing system." Get all the tests you need. It’s your life and your
hearing and your suffering. I wouldn’t pay a lick of attention to anyone
who says, "Oh it doesn’t matter, it probably isn’t X". Nonsense, find out
what it IS.
Do you work in silence or in a loud environment? Both are going to wreak
havoc on tinnitus. Lifestyle change number one is indicated. Too quiet,
add sound until your daily environment is around 50dB plus or minus. Same
with your nightly environment. If you’re a farmer or a construction worker
or in an occupation where you are exposed to noise all the time, start
wearing ear protection now. But NEVER stay in silence for extended periods.
Whistle if you have to. The brain must have alternative auditory stimulus
if at all possible to help expedite your tinnitus to reduce in volume and
distress. If you are deaf, and a lot of my clients are, then you must learn
to do external focusing and self hypnosis, regardless of medications.
How does someone become a client of yours?
You don't need to be a client of mine to get better. Feel free to write and ask. It's possible. I wasn't able to see out of town clients in 2008. That might change at the end of 2009. Please see Tinnitus Therapy with Kevin Hogan. But, please, before attempting to become a client: Set up a teleconsult (email me, please don't call). Sometimes this 90 minutes is all someone needs to get the information that will change the rest of their life. If I can't talk with you, I will refer you to someone who can take care of you.
I have tinnitus and hyperacusis and live in the United Kingdom near London. Is there someone in the U.K. who can help me with this noise after I do a teleconsult with you?
If you'd like to contact a therapist in the U.K. after doing your teleconsult, please click HERE .
What do you think of masking therapy?
I suggest the "habituation" approach in constrast to "masking". There are days when masking is very attractive but on whole, habituation is probably a better route in my opinion.
What do you think of vinpocetine for tinnitus reduction?
Possible. Certainly not necessary to go this route prior to the work we will do, but it is an option. There are no studies but I have had some positive anecdotal reports from clients.
What do you think of habituation for tinnitus and hyperacusis?
Habituation is an obvious necessity for EVERY person that can hear, that has
tinnitus. My definition of habituation is different than others though. People who fail in TRT habituation that come to see me
failed because they were pushed too fast in the habituation process...or shockingly didn't like another sound of tinnitus in their ears/head. There
are a lot more ways to habituate tinnitus than with a pair of Starkey’s.
Pleasant classical music, environmental sounds and babbling brooks pumped
into my head 24 hours a day for two years did me wonders. That’s where I
suggest everyone start, except those who can’t wear headphones for various reasons.
Then you look at generators. Habituation is more difficult but by no means impossible when the person has
hyperacusis. Hyperacusis is VERY beatable. Most people recover with little sensitivity later. Interesting, though hyperacusis starts as more difficult to deal with (from my point of view as consultant), it tends to yield first!
Should I have the ______ surgery for my tinnitus?
Before doing anything that can give you permanent tinnitus...do the things that work. Except for tumor removal, I have never had a client that needed surgery, experimental or otherwise. It simply is a risk that is not necessary.
What do you think of Xanax? Will I become addicted? Will it get rid of my tinnitus? Does Xanax cause tinnitus?
It’s a miracle drug. It saved my life. (Me and thousands of others!) Took several months to "kick in" for me personally. Five or six. For most it takes about 3 months, and that makes sense. If a person has severe tinnitus or hyperacusis and
there are no contraindications, it's the most logical starting point. One study shows 3/4 of people using Xanax experience half the noise volume once they are in their third month of usage. That's faster, on average, than anything other option you have right now. It mirrors my experience with clients....I've read where people talk about addiction, devastation and destruction. I tell you what: If you have profound tinnitus, Xanax (and medications like it) will probably save you from something far worse than addiction.
Will you become addicted? I wish it would have been a consideration for the brother of one of my clients. Both had severe tinnitus. Their doctor wouldn't prescribe Xanax, the noise became so horrifying the man committed suicide. The woman (my client) went to bat for herself and worked with another doctor and me. Today she is almost completely silent.
By the way, Xanax does NOT cause tinnitus. In fact it has a negative tinnitus effect. In other words, 7% of people who take Xanax report they get tinnitus vs. 11% taking a placebo for the same problems. Effectively this means that the brain is powerful at creating problems (nocebo...not placebo effect) that don't need to exist. Xanax in low doses is a safe and effective starting point for your tinnitus reduction program.
I read in a new book that Xanax (benzodiazapenes) reduce brain plasticity and reduce the effectiveness of habituation (TRT).
Garbage. Xanax (alprazolam) will cost you a grand total of $100 for the first year, if you require it for that length of time. Even if you use the medication for two years before your tinnitus is remitted or much quieter, that's under $200!!! Generators will run you about $3000. Generators sound like many people's tinnitus and actually can cause more harm than good. Xanax/Klonopin/related helps most people get dramatic reduction in volume and sometimes remission, without further treatment. Not profitable for "providers"...and it will give you your life and sanity back. People who haven't had tinnitus cannot comprehend this. I've read authors with fancy degrees who think they know what they are talking about...and haven't a clue.
Whenever you see someone try and scare you that an inexpensive, virtual side effect free, and proven method for reducing and/or eliminating tinnitus and the distress it causes is terrible...ask what their motivation is for causing the fear first...THEN figure out what's in it for them if they succeed in scaring you.
What about Klonopin?
All of the benzodiazepines are useful in tinnitus and hyperacusis
reduction in significant volume and distress, in most cases. For severe
tinnitus, I’m not shy about having my clients talk to their medical doctors immediately about these medications. In my clientele experience, the research is matched by real life positive results. Important Note: Klonopin does seem to help a significant number of people that Xanax does not and this is very good news indeed!
What about anti-depressants?
I think after Mark Sullivan, I was the first person to wave the anti depressant flag. Of course! In my opinion, an excellent choice for moderate to severe tinnitus
suffering, if there are no contraindications. Some people say to start with
Pamelor, but I would disagree and go with the SSRI’s like Zoloft, Paxil, Effexor, Celexa or Lexapro. Please read that last sentence again. I've had a lot of email from people who didn't get it right the first time. Thanks....Some of
my clients have experienced tinnitus elimination with Prozac. But, prozac
may have a small tinnitus side effect that is larger than placebo, granted not
significant, but I’m conservative. I’d start with Zoloft or Lexapro, but I’m not an MD. MD's have no problem prescribing anti-depressants because they are not "tracked" thus you will have no problem here.
Pamelor has a proven track record. The vast majority of my clients who have used tricyclics do get
benefits from the tricyclics and even more from the SSRI’s... and of course you don't use them at the same
time. BUT Pamelor also has more side effects than SSRI's and say, Effexor which is very helpful and has few side effects.
NOTE: For most people that are going to improve, tinnitus will INCREASE when you take an antidepressant for the first few days or maybe even week or two. It comes back down. (You can try and keep the volume up by attending to it and avoiding the other things necessary to cause reduction!) This means the medication is doing it's job in the brain. Don't become upset when the volume increases. Assume it will. The medication is plowing snow in your brain. It takes time to clear paths so they are neat and clean. Give it a few days. I remember these few days myself...they weren't easy...they were worth every second.
What do people experience when they take anti-depressants and anti-
anxiety medication?
Some people experience a locational change in their tinnitus. (That's the first very good sign I look for, by the way.) Some people
experience a temporary increase in volume, which we would expect, and now I
simply let the MD’s I work with know that this is actually likely and also
almost certain to be temporary (a few days). Anti-anxiety's most common side effect seems to be
drowsiness in my clients. Antidepressants most common side effect seems to
be sexual reduction of pleasure which happens to about 4 in 10 of my
clients.
What is most important is how it changes the brain in the long term. Antidepressants will reduce the amount of obsessing and compulsive checking to see if tinnitus is louder, quieter, different...or just to listen. I suggest measuring your tinnitus five times daily. Other than that, put attention externally. If you do this you are on the right road. Anti-depressants are likely to be a CRUCIAL piece of getting well. Get past the first 1-5 days of increased noise and you win. Be stubbornly patient.
What about ginkgo biloba?
My rule of thumb is this: If you have tinnitus that varies in volume
during the day or is pulsatile, you may want to try ginkgo for a few
months. Like the medications, it will take time to "kick in." Two,
three months even before results begin. You should know there is no actual evidence to support ginkgo as a therapeutic tool for tinnitus. I am favorable to the use of it because of my personal experience and a few anecdotal reorts from clients. It's expensive. If money is an issue there are better places to invest in your tinnitus reduction. If money is no issue, I would (and did) see what happens over a few months.
What about biofeedback and relaxation techniques?
Biofeedback is a subfield of hypnosis. Who relaxes or can relax when you have severe tinnitus?? I certainly couldn't. Most of my clients can't. It is useful in stress reduction
and there is evidence that shows that biofeedback, while less effective
than hypnosis, is more effective than Elavil in tinnitus reduction. For people with mild to moderate tinnitus, relaxation oriented self hypnosis is very helpful. Most people with severe tinnitus can't come close to relaxing which is why I developed the Tinnitus Reduction Program. (See below for details.)
What about acupuncture?
Not proven to help.
What about other herbs?
Not proven to help. Save your money.
What about vitamins and minerals?
Magnesium and zinc may help people deficient in these areas. Calcium might help. (It helps a lot of things believe it or not!) There is some
reason to believe that B-Vitamins can help us cope with stress better. For most: Highly over rated, very expensive, and very likely won't help.
What about ear drops, and all of the remedies sold on the internet?
You mean the scams? They are ALL scams. Want a list of tinnitus scams? Type in tinnitus at google and look at the right hand column. All but two that I looked at today were a rip off. PLEASE save your money. If they have a remedy, they must have a double blind placebo study. Ask for it. (It doesn't exist.) Don't ask for testimonials. Ask for a double blind placebo study performed by an independent group. Again, there are none. Period.
What about chiropractic?
Maybe...For tinnitus, I would advise you to see a Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.)
What about psychotherapists?
Same as hypnotherapists. Most are great people that just don't have the laser beam specialized knowledge to help tinnitus sufferers.
What about medical doctors?
Same. Most are just not knowledgeable about how to help tinnitus sufferers. I can't tell you how many times I've read a letter from a physician stating that the patient's tinnitus has no medical basis and therefore, there is "nothing more I can do". This is all preposterous. The medical doctor is one signature away from most people being 1/2 as loud in 90 days. There are MANY medications that can help you. Your medical doctor isn't obligated to work with you and you aren't married to your medical doctor. Become a proponent of getting well and seek the help of those who will help you.
Perhaps you see Nagler. Shulman. Everyone has a different approach. If you don't like your therapist or doctor, dump them. You need someone who will help you long term. Tinnitus isn't a sore throat or an ear ache. It's work. If they help you, keep them. Your M.D. should be knowledgable, willing to learn FROM YOU... what you are learning and that you are willing to perform some trial and error. Treating tinnitus isn't just science. There's quite a bit of artistry in the long term process. It isn't just hypnosis or Xanax or TRT. It's a long term relationship in a lot of cases...in most cases.
Jack Vernon of the ATA told me...do you agree?
Jack Vernon is the person who talked with me 12 years ago. Jack and I have spoken only that one time. Jack is very knowledgable about tinnitus. His approach is somewhat different in some respects. In others, we are very similar. I suggest you do NOT talk with Jack and myself at the same time. It would be like having two football head coaches on a team. Talk with one or the other. Follow recommendations... evaluate in six months. Things aren't going well, flip to the other. Jack Vernon saved my life...period. My appreciation and respect for this man are eternal. Great human being.
I've been thinking about suicide.
If a person has severe tinnitus and is suicidal, they should see a
psychiatrist or medical doctor, get treated both therapeutically and pharmacologically, then call me after the above
criteria have been met. This is my most common client. I've been where you are. It stinks. Remember: You will improve if you do those things that lead to improvement.
How did you come to know so much about tinnitus when the rest of the world seems lost?
I had severe tinnitus for 2.5 years, finally figured how to get better with the unwavering assistance of Chris Coleman, Director of Hope for Hearing in California and others...Today I have no tinnitus. I only do therapeutic work with people who have tinnitus.
My LONG TERM experience from beginning to elimination or substantial reduction with tinnitus sufferers is second to only a very few: I
work with some of the most severe cases of tinnitus sufferers in the United
States.
Why write the book?
I can’t answer 20-30 e-mails and letters per day. Now someone can go
to Amazon.com and for next to nothing get the basic answers I would give. Please, read the book first, then e-mail. Your questions will be much more fine tuned after reading the book. (You're going to waste $10,000 on scam approaches if you haven't already, please, spend $20 or go to the library for heaven's sake.)
Do you hate getting all the e-mails?
No, I hate not being able to help and answer everyone personally. People
aren’t bothering me, I do get down because I am not a non-profit
organization with a staff of people to answer all the inquiries. Sometimes it makes literally me cry when I have to
choose between my kids and my e-mail. I did hire and TRAINED a tinnitus specialist this year and that has helped a great deal. I will always help. Please do read the book and begin your self therapy as soon as possible.
How can I get a copy of your book Tinnitus: Turning the Volume Down?
If you just want the book (without the CDs), order from amazon.com here: Kevin's Tinnitus Book.
If you'd like to read an excerpt from the book, click HERE
If you'd like to contact Kevin Hogan for a 90 minute telephone consultation, please click HERE . Please do not email before reading the next page. Please read the book prior to your teleconsult. It will save an enormous amount of time (and your money). If you want to get started in a logical fashion, use The Tinnitus Reduction Program below. It's cheap and will save you a ton of money in consultations with me and others.
WHO SHOULD OWN THIS PROGRAM?
Anyone with tinnitus who would like to reduce the volume of their tinnitus through the use of self-hypnosis CDs, along with other strategies presented in the program.
The Tinnitus Reduction CD Program has helped thousands of individuals reduce the distress associated with tinnitus. In most cases, when individuals utilize the Tinnitus Reduction Program as part of a multi-modality approach to tinnitus reduction they experience long term improvement.
"I had meant to write before as I have had your tapes from July now. They have been wonderful and saved my sanity. My tinnitus is greatly reduced and my Meniere's under control. I return to your tapes as I find them excellent and I use them every night to go to sleep with. Thank you." Anne Clarke
Your eight CD program includes three hours of up to date information about how to reduce the volume and distress of your tinnitus. This portion of the program is updated regularly.
In addition to the reporting you will receive of what is working in the area of medicine, tinnitus retraining therapy, and other modalities, you will receive six self hypnosis CD's specifically designed by Kevin Hogan which assisted him in the elimination of his tinnitus. The first two CD's in the program are the most up to date information about tinnitus relief you can get. Now, you can utilize the same program as part of a multi-modal effort in reducing your tinnitus volume.
Kevin Hogan is a psychotherapist specializing in hypnosis, who didn't stop with just one possible way to experience silence. A multimodal approach is the only way to assure your success in reducing your tinnitus volume and the intense emotional distress that comes from the tinnitus. If you are sick of hearing that "nothing can be done" and "you'll have to learn to live with it," this is the starting point.
The program includes the brand new revised edition of, Tinnitus: Turning the Volume Down which includes the latest developments in reducing tinnitus and hundreds of citations for further research.
Tinnitus Reduction CD Program and the 200 page book, Tinnitus: Turning Down the Volume
100% Lifetime Money Back Guarantee. After you have used this program and the information in it, for six months, you will have a record of specifically how much quieter you are then than now. If you don't think this program lived up to it's billing, return it for a full refund. And, If a CD EVER skips or breaks, we will replace it FREE!
Kevin Hogan
Network 3000 Publishing
3432 Denmark #108
Eagan, MN 55123
(612) 616-0732 Photos appear under license with Stockexpert.
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