Distress linked to tinnitus can be intensified by unhelpful healthcare consultations that emphasise ‘no cure’ rather than advice for reducing distress.
While tinnitus is a common experience and usually mild, for some people it can cause considerable distress. In a qualitative study, nine individuals with tinnitus were interviewed after receiving mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. This paper reports on their experiences living with tinnitus prior to that psychological intervention. Tinnitus can have a life-changing affect on thoughts, emotions, attention and behaviour. The experience of distress from tinnitus was heightened by unhelpful communications with health professionals and reduced by helpful consultations. With no medical cure available, tinnitus sufferers are often told “you just have to live with it”. None of the participants were given advice regarding help for tinnitus distress and none were informed that distress and intrusiveness decreases over time. Helpful consultations involved the clinician showing empathy for the patient’s experience of tinnitus, clear explanations, realistic advice and appropriate referral. The researchers suggest the need for early intervention that provides clear, helpful and realistic information about tinnitus, associated distress and its treatment.
doi.org/10.1111/bjhp.12351
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