High Pitched Noise In Ear

Example of using self instructional statements for controlling tinnitus.

 

1. Noticing the Tinnitus

View the tinnitus as a problem that you can do something about.

• "What is it I have to do?"
• "I can develop a plan to deal with it."

 

Prepare yourself by making a plan or mental outline of how you will deal with the sensations when they arise.

• "Just think about what I have to do."

 

Focus on what the situation requires – focus on the present.

 

Review all the strategies that you know and that may be helpful.

• "Think of the things that I can use to help me control the tinnitus."
• "Don't worry, worry won't help anything."
• "I could just pause for a moment and relax, then I'll develop a plan – a bit of problem solving might also be useful."

 

Use any anxiety or worry as a reminder or cue to focus on what you have to do.

• "Remember, I can shift my attention to anything I want to. My attention does not have to be stuck on the tinnitus – let's shift the focus to something else."

 

Remind and reassure yourself that you are able to use various self-control strategies. Remember your thoughts and attention are under your control.

 

2. Confronting the Tinnitus

View the tinnitus as a challenge – do not view it as a disaster.

• "I can deal with the tinnitus as a challenge – I can challenge it and not let it overwhelm me."
• "One step at a time, I can handle the tinnitus; it's not pleasant but I can handle it."

 

Don't do everything at once – don't be overwhelmed. Rather, develop a logical plan, using each of the self-control skills you have learned.

• "Take a deep breath in, let it out and relax. Just pause for a moment."
• "I won't think about the tinnitus. I'll just focus on what I have to do – the task at hand, focus on what I can do right now to help me deal with the situation."

 

3. Managing Thoughts and Feelings at Critical Moments

(This refers to times when you notice that the intensity of the tinnitus seems to be increasing, or when you think that you can't manage any more.)

 

Keep in mind the task at hand – focus on what you have to do.

• "When I notice the tinnitus, I just pause and keep focusing on what I have to do."

 

Be realistic. You are not trying to eliminate the tinnitus – but you can take control.

• "The tinnitus may be present but I can keep it at a manageable level. Don't overreact, that will make things worse. Just try to keep your focus of attention on the task at hand – that way, the tinnitus may merge into the background."
• Don't magnify the intensity of the sensations; don't catastrophize – that will only make things worse."
• "Remember, there are lots of things I can do; I can keep things under control."
• "Just pause, don't make things worse. I can review my plan of strategies – what can I switch to, what else can I do to make myself feel better?"

 

Consider using all of the various self-control skills: thought-stopping techniques, challenging thoughts, relaxation, attention control, and imagery skills.

 

4. Self-Reflection and Positive Self-Statements

Throughout the three phases outlined above, it may be useful to evaluate your performance. You could use self-instructions, or self-statements such as:

"How am I doing?"

"That worked pretty well!"

 

Remember, people often criticize themselves, but rarely praise their behavior. Throughout a stressful situation, evaluate how you are doing. This will help you keep on task. If you feel you should be doing better, you can use this as a cue to try different strategies. Most importantly, acknowledge that you are using your self-control skills and give yourself a "pat on the back" for doing so. Some examples might include:

 

"I'm doing pretty well, it's not as hard as I thought!"

"I'm doing better all the time!"

"I won't let negative thoughts interfere with my plan."

"I knew I could handle it – I'm doing pretty well!"

"Each time I practice the self-management strategies I get better at using them."

 

Slow down, stop jumping to conclusions, check out all the possibilities, think of alternatives. What's really true here? What facts might I be overlooking?

 

You might also use self-instructional statements as a reminder to employ all your self-control techniques, including relaxation, attention control, imagery, and thought-stopping skills. Some people find that self-instructional statements work best if they address themselves by their own name when using them. Try using your own name and see if that helps.

 

Problem-Solving Training

Having to manage problematic situations is a normal aspect of daily living. We will describe problem-solving training – a method designed to provide you with a general strategy for coping with problems. The goal of problem-solving training is not to offer you specific solutions to specific situations, but rather to teach you a general framework to use in solving a diverse range of problems (i.e., current and future problems). By learning effective problem-solving skills you will be in a better position to manage a variety of problems.

 

Problem solving can actually be fun! You will feel a sense of accomplishment when you achieve control of some problem situations.

 

Jim is attending a social function at a local restaurant

 

1. Preparing for the Situation

"O.K., I know I get a bit concerned about going to social functions now that I have tinnitus – but I can develop a plan to deal with this. No negative self-statements or thoughts, just think clearly and rationally. It'll be good to get out and celebrate. I can spend the next hour or so before I go just doing something pleasant – don't think about the tinnitus."

 

2. Confronting and Dealing with the Situation

"One step at a time – don't think about the tinnitus or whether it'll be loud when I get home. No need to think about that – that'll surely just make it worse. Just focus on the here and now. If I use all of my self-control strategies I know I can deal with it. I'll just remember to use my relaxation skills, watch my thinking, and use my attention control skills."

 

3. Dealing with the Situation if Feelings Increase

"It's quite noisy here and a bit difficult to hear what people are saying. But it's O.K.; the food and company are good. If you don't quite understand what people are saying, just ask them to repeat themselves. No point in thinking about how my tinnitus will be later. Even if it does seem louder when I get home that's O.K.; that will only be temporary and it'll settle back down. One good thing now is that because of all the background noise it's rather difficult to hear my tinnitus. Now let's get my attention off the tinnitus – focus it back on to the celebrations."

 

4. Reinforcing Self-Statements When Situation Is Over

"It worked – I was able to keep my emotions and feelings under control. Even though social situations are not that easy now that I have the tinnitus, I didn't let it spoil the evening. My negative thoughts are a large part of the problem. If I think I won't cope or won't enjoy something – or it will affect my tinnitus, it usually does.

 

This time I just let the tinnitus be there without focusing on it – I kept my attention on the celebrations, the food, and company. This experience will help me practice the self-instructions again in the future. They certainly helped to keep me focused on all the new self-control skills I have – that was a job well done!" To learn more, you can check out High Pitched Noise In Ear.

 

No related posts.