Sharon, UK
Sharon joined CBT4T with ONE appointment included
Clinical Outcomes:
- Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) results: 70.0% (category 4 big problem) > 23.6% (category 2 small problem)
- Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) results: 66% (category 4 severe tinnitus distress) > 10% (category 1 no tinnitus distress)
- GAD-7 (Anxiety) results: 14/21 > 2/21
- PSS (Stress) results: 18 (moderate stress) > 4 (low stress)
- ASQ (Anxiety/stress Symptoms) results: 49.1% (moderate) > 7.4% (under 10% negligible)
- HSQ (Hearing Sensitivity Q) results: 40% > 10%
- HAQ (Hyperacusis Assessment Q) results: 46.4% > 17.9%
Sharon's CBT4T Evaluation on completion
Q: In your own words, please leave your review of the CBT4T programme – thank you
A: "This course has been life changing for me. I could feel myself slowly getting worse and I was becoming desperate. I went to the Doctors for tablets for anxiety caused by the Tinnitus and came away with Debbie’s name and details of this course. (The Doctor's husband had used it and she highly recommended it).
I started to feel improvements in my anxiety within a couple of weeks and then slowly my sleeping also improved. Then when I started the cognitive distortions part of the course I started to have times when I was not even aware of the Tinnitus. Once you start seeing improvements and with Debbie’s encouragement the Tinnitus becomes less and less of a problem and I am now positive that this will only improve over the coming weeks."
Q: Do you recommend others to use CBT4T and if so, based on your own experience, please explain to them why
A: "Yes I would definitely recommend it. The course is well structured and you can go at your own pace so you never feel rushed. There is a certain amount of commitment needed but if you keep going you will start to notice a difference, it just takes time.
I feel like Tinnitus no longer defines me anymore and I can get on with my life."
Sharon's feedback at the end of Stage 6:
Q: Do you recommend others with severe tinnitus distress to use the CBT4T programme?
A: "I would definitely recommend the course. It is affordable and you can go at your own pace. Before I started the course I felt like I couldn’t cope with it anymore and was starting to feel quite depressed. The course has helped me understand tinnitus and how the brain works. I now have times when the tinnitus goes into the background and I don’t think about it, I am hoping these times will increase as I continue with the course."
Q: What benefit have you experienced using the relaxation element of the course so far?
A: "I have found the breathing and relaxation element of the course has really helped me feel less anxious and more relaxed. I have never done this sort of exercise before and was quite sceptical to start with but within a couple of weeks I started to notice a difference."
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: "The neuroscience based learning has really helped me to understand how anxiety and stress really makes a difference to the loudness and intrusiveness of the tinnitus."
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: "It helped me realise that I was constantly looking at things in a problem oriented way and only saw the negatives. I can now see things in a recovery oriented perspective . I think I have changed from a 1/10 to a 8/10."
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 lovely to meet up with Debbie. She was very friendly and easy to talk too. We talked about the course and she gave me the confidence that I am on track with everything and doing well. It also helped that she also has tinnitus so can understand how you are feeling from personal experience."
Q: What is your own impression of your progress to date?
A: "I feel like I am making progress and my mid-term measures have proved this. I am less anxious and upset than I was before starting the course. Sleep has improved and I feel like I can get on with my life despite having tinnitus."
Q: The weekly SITREP was introduced in August 2023. Have you found it useful to report in weekly and if so, why?
A: "The weekly SITREP is a really good way to keep you engaged and to help you keep a track of your progress from week to week."
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add regarding any part of the course so far?
A: "It’s a great course and has helped me realise that I can and do have a good life despite having tinnitus."