Treating Tinnitus Distress though Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

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Tips For Treating Tinnitus Distress from Dr. Diane Allen

If you or a loved one suffers from the effects of tinnitus, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can help. Check out these tips for managing tinnitus distress with CBT from Dr. Diane Allen.

Treating Tinnitus Distress though Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Tinnitus distress can severely alter a person’s psychological state, including negatively affecting their mood and emotions, as well as their thinking. But through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), relief is possible.

CBT for tinnitus can help those suffering from the effects of tinnitus by increasing their understanding of what is causing the tinnitus distress, and can also help to decrease the emotional reactions and negative thoughts related to tinnitus. 

Because of the emotional and physical toll that tinnitus takes on us, it can seem daunting to address the issue. But those looking to get their tinnitus distress under control can practice these four simple things, as recommended by our CBT specialists:

4 Tips for Managing Tinnitus Distress with CBT

  • Exercise careful thinking. Thoughts have a powerful influence over emotions and behavior, but thoughts are NOT facts. In CBT, you will develop a Recovery Perspective regarding tinnitus. People can and do habituate to tinnitus, and there is a high probability that you can, too. 

  • Practice mindfulness. Through CBT, you will learn an acceptance strategy to promote acceptance of unwanted, unchangeable realities in life like tinnitus. Mindfulness can also help separate tinnitus and emotional reactions.

  • Use therapeutic sound. Background sound, or “masking,” makes tinnitus less noticeable, so that tinnitus blends into background. This can include the use of audiological sound generators.

  • Take courageous action. Taking action to tackle your tinnitus takes an immense amount of courage, knowing it will be hard to rejoin your life and do the activities you used to enjoy. But by using a graded approach paired with these other practices, the experience can be softened.

If you or a loved one suffers from the effects of tinnitus, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can help. Living with tinnitus doesn’t have to be isolating or scary, and help is available. Our licensed therapists are skilled in the practice of CBT, and can help you get your life back with tinnitus management. We are able to offer telehealth sessions for patients interested in CBT.

Call Dr. Allen at (469) 428-7161 to schedule an in-person or telehealth appointment, or to set up a free initial phone consultation.

About Dr. Diane Allen
Dr. Allen is a licensed clinical psychologist who has personal and professional experience with hearing loss and tinnitus. She attended graduate school at UTSouthwestern and completed her PhD in clinical psychology in 1995. Dr. Allen worked at the UTD Callier Center for Communication Disorders for more than 10 years. She also worked on the Tinnitus Team and the North Texas Cochlear Implant team while at Callier. Dr. Allen is currently in private practice in North Dallas at The Grove Counseling and Wellness Center. She is skilled in both therapy and psychological testing. For clients with tinnitus, she uses CBT along with techniques from solution-focused therapy. She works with individuals, couples, and families that are coping with tinnitus, hearing loss, and other communication disorders.

The Grove now offers telehealth sessions for CBT with Dr. Diane Allen. To schedule a telehealth appointment or to set up a free phone consultation, call us at (469) 428-7161 or email info@grove-counseling.com.