Change achieved by those starting the CBT for Tinnitus E-Programme with a Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) Category 5: 73-100% (very big problem)
Cath, UK
Review written at intermediate Stage 6, 19 weeks after enrolment
Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) 80.8% > 42.4% (category 5: very big problem > category 3: moderate problem)
Q: Do you recommend others to use the CBT for Tinnitus E-Programme?
A: "Yes. Life's a journey with bumps in the road, tinnitus has felt like the biggest mountain trying to walk in high heels. The course has given me sturdy walking boots to make good progress to get to the top and over the other side."
Q: What benefit have you experienced using the relaxation element of the course so far?
A: "I had used mindfulness before and appreciated it helping with stress and anxiety but it hadn't become a regular part of my daily routine. I've really appreciated the breathing and relaxation exercises, for feeling more grounded and having time out for renewal during the day and very aware that this has been beneficial in helping to regulate my dysregulated amygdala."
Q: How has the neuroscience-based learning about the amygdala, autonomic ladder and brain plasticity helped you to relate to your experience of tinnitus, anxiety and stress?
A: "Really useful to understand more about this and how stress, anxiety and perceptions have an impact on tinnitus and what I can do for my own self care."
Q: What have you learned from the costs & benefits transaction work (used from stage 3)? Estimate how much you have already adjusted from having a problem-oriented perspective towards a recovery-oriented perspective (e.g. 2/10 > 7/10 indicates an improvement of 5 so far)
A: "Costs and benefits were really useful and I particularly appreciated the second arrow exercises. I think I've definitely shifted to a recovery perspective, though the process hasn't been easy. I think I was probably at 1/10, now at a 7/10."
Q: You are likely to have had your first 1-1 by now. Did you benefit from your 1-1 and if so, how?
A: "Useful to have a conversation and chat through concerns and expectations of progress."
Q: What is your own impression of your progress to date?
A: "I have much more understanding about tinnitus and my own responses to this, it's still constant and annoying on occasions, but I'm in a much better place with my well-being, and I am feeling more recovery focussed."
Gary, UK
Completed 17 weeks after enrolment
Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) 82.8% > 52.8% > 32.0% > 19.2% (category 5: 73-100% very big problem > category 3: 32-53% moderate problem > category 2: 18-31% small problem)
Final Review:
Q: Do you recommend others to use the Tinnitus E-Programme and if so, please say why:
A: "Yes 100%. It really helps you understand tinnitus, what's going on and gives you the tools to take back control over your life."
"I would recommend this course 100% to anyone who is finding it difficult to cope with tinnitus. Like many, tinnitus appeared in my life and it instantly took hold - I could not sleep, concentrating was difficult and my anxiety was through the roof. I genuinely felt like so much of my life had been ruined because of tinnitus. I did what many did at this point - went online and read. This is generally a mistake, because its very easy to feel more negative after reading stories online, but one good thing did happen is that I came across this course. I was generally sceptical of how CBT would help with that I was going through, but I had nothing to lose so I enrolled immediately. The course is structured really well, and releasing a module each week allows you to take your time going through the course. You never need to rush and going at your own pace allows you to really take on board what is being taught. The relaxation exercises in particular are really great and after a few weeks you really start to notice the difference they make. The course also does a great job in explaining what tinnitus is and what your brain is doing in reaction to tinnitus. This knowledge really takes away a lot of the fear you might have around tinnitus. Debbie really knows her stuff, and she keeps in regular contact with you. Her feedback is always really helpful, whether its by email or by the face to face appointments. I have now completed the course and it was the best decision I could have made. If you're reading this and sceptical about CBT like I was, then don't be. If your willing to engage with the course and the exercises it really does make a difference. My life went from being controlled by tinnitus, to tinnitus no longer having control over me, or my life."
Feedback from Gary throughout the process:
Intermediate TFI after Stage 9 (of 12) 11 weeks after enrolment: 82.8% > 52.8% > 32.0%
Review written at Stage 7 (of 12) 7 weeks after enrolment
Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) 82.8% > 52.8% (category 5: very big problem > category 3: moderate problem)
Q: Do you recommend others to use the CBT for Tinnitus E-Programme?
A: "100% yes. Its a course built for people who have difficulty coping with tinnitus. It explains what is going on and provides techniques and exercises to really help you cope with what you are going through and also change your perspective over time so it no longer impacts on your life. I would be lost without it."
Q: What benefit have you experienced using the relaxation element of the course so far?
A: "I was very new to relaxation and was sceptical on the difference it could make. My day to day schedule has changed to take the relaxation elements into account. I have found the physiological and autogenic exercises along with the short breathing exercises to be the most helpful."
Q: How has the neuroscience-based learning about the amygdala, autonomic ladder and brain plasticity helped you to relate to your experience of tinnitus, anxiety and stress?
A: "This has been a big help. Until learning about these things tinnitus is a big unknown and something to worry / fear. Knowing what it is, and what's causing the noise and reactions helps you to calm down and not let it impact you as much."
Q: What have you learned from the Costs & Benefits Transaction work (used from Stage 3)? Estimate how much you have already adjusted from having a PROBLEM-ORIENTED perspective towards a RECOVERY-ORIENTED perspective (e.g. 2/10 > 7/10 indicates an improvement of 5 so far):
A: "This work is really helpful as it helps you change from problem oriented to recovery oriented. I would say I was 1/10 to start with, and am now around a 6.5/10."
Q: You are likely to have had your first 1-1 by now. Did you benefit from your 1-1 and if so, how?
A: "Yes, it was nice to be able to talk things out and get a better understanding of how things work. Not everyone understands what you are going through so its nice to be able to speak about things that someone else will "get"."
Q: What is your own impression of your progress to date?
A: "I am generally quite pleased with my progress. The last week has been difficult - It does feel like the volume has increased and the pitch has changed from an already high pitch to even more of a high pitch. I've also gradually being getting tinnitus in both ears instead of just one. If this had happened without the course, it would have been really difficult to see how I would have coped. But now it's different - I am much better prepared and informed and this means I am handling things way better than I would have."
Lisa, UK
Review written at Stage 6 (of 12) 18 weeks after enrolment
Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) 86.4% > 12.8% (category 5: very big problem > category 1: not a problem)
Q: Do you recommend others to use the CBT for Tinnitus E-Programme?
A: "Yes - I understand it's about how you cope and the distress you feel towards tinnitus."
Q: What benefit have you experienced using the relaxation element of the course so far?
A: "I know about meditation and mindful practice but until starting this course, never practiced it regularly. I have found this element to be really beneficial. I feel so much calmer inside and get less anxious. I even went in a lift on holiday (something I have never done since a child as I'm severely claustrophobic). This is a major achievement in my life and I am now committed to relaxation techniques."
Q: How has the neuroscience-based learning about the amygdala, autonomic ladder and brain plasticity helped you to relate to your experience of tinnitus, anxiety and stress?
A: "Yes it has. I realise how much I was fired up through my amygdala brain and probably had been for years, which hasn't helped with the tinnitus. I take hope that my brain can learn (through plasticity) to filter out the tinnitus sounds over time and that I need to practice mindfulness and relaxation regularly."
Q: What have you learned from the Costs & Benefits Transaction work (used from Stage 3)? Estimate how much you have already adjusted from having a PROBLEM-ORIENTED perspective towards a RECOVERY-ORIENTED perspective (e.g. 2/10 > 7/10 indicates an improvement of 5 so far)
A: "I haven't completed the costs and benefits transaction work that much but have tried the meaning adjuster. I am finding that I am still conscious of the tinnitus sounds but a lot less bothered by it. Taking that into account, I must be using more of a recovery-oriented perspective that problem-oriented perspective."
Q: You are likely to have had your first 1-1 by now. Did you benefit from your 1-1 and if so, how?
A: "Yes - greatly. It was really good to talk to Debbie. She has a great deal of knowledge and expertise that I can learn from to help me. I just wish I had more F2F sessions in this course as I have come to realise that this is my preferred learning style."
Q: What is your own impression of your progress to date?
A: "I have made tremendous progress in terms of anxiety and stress reduction. My tinnitus has quietened down to more of a hissing sound now rather than tonal which seems more bearable to cope with. During the days, I am getting times when I don't notice it at all."
Rena, UK
Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) 85.6% > 56.8% > 24.4%
Category 5 (73-100%) very big problem > category 4 (54-72%) big problem > category 2 (18-31%) small problem
Review written at Stage 6 (of 12) 10 weeks after enrolment (awaiting final review)
Q: Do you recommend others to use the CBT for Tinnitus E-Programme?
A: "Yes l would definitely recommend others to use the course.l don’t know what l would have done without it, l didn’t know where to turn. Debbie calmed me down right from the start. The course is easy to follow and at your own pace."
Q: What benefit have you experienced using the relaxation element of the course so far?
A: "Having never used relaxation l was surprised to find it to be very calming and relaxing. l was in a terrible state at the beginning of the course, l was losing weight and very distressed.The relaxation calmed me down and within weeks there was a significant improvement."
Q: How has the neuroscience-based learning about the amygdala, autonomic ladder and brain plasticity helped you to relate to your experience of tinnitus, anxiety and stress?
A: "Learning about the neuroscience behind tinnitus has reduced the fear and worry. You learn that stress and anxiety actually negatively affects the brain chemistry and in turn makes tinnitus worse."
Q: What have you learned from the Costs & Benefits Transaction work (used from Stage 3)? Estimate how much you have already adjusted from having a PROBLEM-ORIENTED perspective towards a RECOVERY-ORIENTED perspective (e.g. 2/10 > 7/10 indicates an improvement of 5 so far)
A: "The costs and Benefits Transaction work has helped me to think in a recovery oriented rather than a problem oriented perspective. l was possibly 1/10 to start with now l would say 5/10."
Q: You are likely to have had your first 1-1 by now. Did you benefit from your 1-1 and if so, how?
A: "It was so good to talk to Debbie she was so reassuring and understood how l felt."
Q: What is your own impression of your progress to date?
A: "I am pleased with my progress so far. My anxiety level is so much better and l feel much calmer. I still have good days and bad days so have work to do. I now know how important it is not to panic but to use the relaxation and reframing techniques to help calm tinnitus."
Tom, Finland
Review written at Stage 6 (of 12) 17 weeks after enrolment
Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) reduced from 76.8% > 4.4% (category 5: very big problem > category 1 not a problem)
Q: Do you recommend others to use the CBT for Tinnitus E-Programme?
A: "If one truly wants to be helped, and one is committed to take the time and effort, this program can be really helpful. I highly recommend it! :)"
Q: What benefit have you experienced using the relaxation element of the course so far?
A: "I guess I have always wanted to make meditation/relaxation exercises part of my daily schedule. However, I just kept postponing it. When my tinnitus started, I was a bit reluctant to start these relaxation exercises because I really didn't see the point at first. Now that I have been doing them for a while, I have noticed the positive effect not just on my tinnitus, but also my over all wellbeing."
Q: How has the neuroscience-based learning about the amygdala, autonomic ladder and brain plasticity helped you to relate to your experience of tinnitus, anxiety and stress?
A: "I guess they have made me realize that I am not just a victim, that I can actually affect how I feel, what I can do to change my mental and physical state. In this respect, I am just my journey."
Q: Estimate how much you have already adjusted from having a PROBLEM-ORIENTED perspective towards a RECOVERY-ORIENTED perspective (e.g. 2/10 > 7/10 indicates an improvement of 5 so far):
A: "In the beginning I was constantly visiting different sites and discussion forums related to tinnitus, trying to find a "cure" for the problem. When I started this programme, the visits were becoming less and less until I completely cut them off from my life. I also read a lot of books related to tinnitus. I don't do that anymore. Yes, I still read books but they are more related to the total wellbeing of myself. If I think about grading myself, I would probably say something like starting from 2, and now being somewhere around 9."
Q: You are likely to have had your first 1-1 by now. Did you benefit from your 1-1 and if so, how?
A: "It was finally great to have a conversation with somebody who actually knew a lot of the tinnitus, and who actually cared about how I felt, and who had some valid information and advice how to continue my life. And as I had read the book "living well with tinnitus", to have somebody give her honest opinion about the book."
Q: What is your own impression of your progress to date?
A: "I am happy about my situation right now. I wish I had had more time and self-discipline to have progressed in a more timely fashion, but like Debbie said, everyone has their own pace, and there is no rush."
Steve, UK
Review written at Stage 7 (of 12) 7 weeks after enrolment
Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) reduced from 80.4% > 24.0% (category 5: very big problem > category 2: small problem)
Q: Do you recommend others to use the CBT for Tinnitus E-Programme?
A: "Yes I would highly recommend this course. We're told to ignore the problem but for some people that isn't always possible. The CBT course has allowed me to take control, and subsequently of my future. It's given me tools and an understanding of what tinnitus is and how it can be overcome. I am only half way through and I feel a lot better than I did before I started the course."
"I am new to relaxation exercises and find using them daily helps me control my anxiety levels. I have also found the reading helpful and now understand more about tinnitus and why I feel the way I do. It's about mindset and by changing the way I see my tinnitus, being less subjective and more objective, questioning the meaning behind my thoughts and making adjustments, is helping my recovery."
Geoff, UK
Review written at Stage 9 (of 12) 14 weeks after enrolment
Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) reduced from 86.4% > 20.2% (category 5: very big problem > category 2: small problem)
Q: Do you recommend others to use the CBT for Tinnitus E-Programme?
A: "Yes I do. I wish I had known about it earlier. The reason I am writing this review is because it was the reviews on Debbie’s website that I read that helped me decide to enroll. I hope my review helps someone else."
"I am so grateful for this course and to Debbie for producing it. Although I’ve had tinnitus for around 10 years, I found myself starting to notice it more and more. I am certain it was much louder than it ever was. I wasn’t sleeping, didn’t feel like eating, felt I was letting my family down at a time when they needed me. I was dreading Christmas but did keep hoping it was just a spike. I’ve had spikes before, but never a spike that lasted more than a couple of days. This was about 2 months! We have had a lot going on in the family, and I kind of knew that stress might be part of the reason tinnitus was giving me more problems than it had for a long time (years!). I was exhausted and I did have a terrible Christmas, so it was after that when I contacted Debbie. I found the program online and just so grateful I did, because it has been amazing! I had tried CBT and tried using apps. None of it helped and I wasn’t keen on CBT after already trying it. But I read the reviews on the website, and now I am writing one too in case it helps somebody else! The e-program wasn’t anything like the CBT I had tried (a book about living with tinnitus and boxing).
I felt so understood when I started the e-program, and it was easy to follow. I soon realised that everything I’d read and thought I had been doing to help myself hadn’t been helping at all, but this course was completely different. Debbie seems to make it all so much easier, and meeting her for zoom appointments helped even more. I can hardly believe we are now in May, and I am back to being me. Thank you Debbie!!!"
Paula, UK
Review written at Stage 7 (of 12) 9 weeks after enrolment
Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) reduced from 78.8% > 29.8% at Stage 6 of 12
"Before I found this course, I had tried using various apps for tinnitus for about 6 months. Sometimes I thought I was feeling better but it didn't last. Then I came across Debbie and her CBT course while searching online. I was feeling desperate so I decided to try it. Before I started the course, Debbie emailed me with the results of my TFI which was really high. I knew I was struggling, but also felt I should have been better than this after using the apps. Anyway, I enrolled with two appointments as Debbie had recommended in her email. Straightaway I felt someone was helping ME. This CBT course is structured and seemed to fit exactly what I needed. By the time I met with Debbie for my one on one, I was alsready feeling so much better but she gave me such a lot of confidence as well as being so knowledgeable and understanding. I sent in my second TFI when I reached stage 6 and couldn't believe the difference after only 7 weeks! I'm so grateful Debbie sent me my results and suggested I slow down my pace, because it has made me go back through some of the earlier parts of the course which I realise now I hadn't fully digested. I'm now on stage 7 and intend to continue. Tinnitus isn't much an issue now but the course is helping me in other areas of life too. I particularly look forward to doing the core belief work as I think its this that has caused me problems all my life, including why I reacted as I did to tinnitus. By the way, my hyperacusis has gone now too. I've been to restaurants and played with my grandchildren which I just couldn't do before starting this course. It's been a real life-saver!"
Q: Would you recommend others with tinnitus distress to use this course?
A: "Absolutely I would! All I did was follow everything in the modules. It's given me a new structure and routine that helps so much, and I have already met two of my goals I set in stage 5. I would recommend you don't race through the course week by week though as I did. I'm taking a couple of weeks at each stage from now on."
Laura, UK
Review written at Stage 7 of 12 stages (6 weeks after enrolment)
Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) reduced from 90.8% > 59.6% at Stage 6 of 12. TFI 39.6% on completion
"The breathing exercises are very helpful, I am now incorporarting these into my daily routine. Guided meditation is also helpful when the noise gets too much. I will continue to use these techniques. It is helpful to read the theory about tinnitus too.This is an excellent course for people suffering daily with tinnitus. Thank you."
Q: Would you recommend others with tinnitus distress to use this course?
A: "Absolutely! I would encourage them to give it a try or to learn about breathing and meditation."
Grainne, Eire
Review written at Module 7 stage of 12 modules (7 weeks after enrolment)
Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) reduced from 78.8% > 6.8% at Stage 6 of 12
"I have found the abdominal breathing very good. When I started the course I was having many spikes and since I started the breathing, the spikes stopped. I have always meditated but the breathing and relaxation exercises really help me. I find the course very practical. It describes the nervous system and tinnitus very well. With that knowledge it helps to keep the relaxation going."
Q: Would you recommend others with tinnitus distress to use this course?
A: "Yes most definitely I would recommend this course. When it started for me it was very distressing and I went down many avenues looking for answers. I spent a lot of money trying different things but this course in my opinion was a great find for me and I would highly reccomend it to anyone suffering from tinnitus."
Nathalie, UK
(7 weeks after enrolment: TFI Category 5 > 3)
Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) reduced from 83.6% > 49.6% at Stage 6 of 12
The breathing exercise in particular makes my day easier. I try and do this everyday at least four times. I also see some more benefit doing the physiological breathing too. The modules are set up clearly. Also find the practical exercises along with the information is the right balance
Q: Would you recommend others with tinnitus distress to use the course?
A: Yes, that it does bring your anxiety down and makes you feel a bit more relaxed during the day and in charge of it instead of it in charge of you