I’m Ivan, in my forties. 14 months ago, one evening after a long day’s work I became aware of strangers in my ears. Rather disagreeable and stressful sounds or humming that more and more of us are familiar with : tinnitus. In my right ear I identify, not without difficulty, a frequency around 3,000 Hertz (the most uncomfortable) and in the left ear one much higher around 9,000 Hertz.
They are so troublesome that for the first few days I am only able to sleep 3 or 4 hours a night. After a 6 month wait I finally have my appointment with an ENT specialist who tells me more or less “My dear chap science cannot do much for you. Nevertheless I can tell you that your auditive thresholds are quite normal with just a slight dip in the 3,000 to 5,000 Hz range.”
In September 2015 I go to IMERTA (Institut Méditerranéen de Recherche et de Traitement des Acouphènes) in Marseille. The personnel are welcoming and the tests a little more probing. I leave with a personalised sound therapy, adapted to my frequencies and consisting in listening every day to certain beeps. Result : my tinnitus remains completely unchanged for several months.
In March 2016, I decide to meet Mr. Justin Waddell at the Audio-Vocal Centre. I appreciate his warm welcome and undergo some auditive tests at the end of which Justin exclaims : “Let me guess your problem. I compare your curves. You’ve got tinnitus ?” Bingo.
The diagnosis terminated, one week later I’m on my first 6-day session. On the menu : reeducation of my ears whilst drawing and listening to Mozart (preferred music), Gregorian Chant and violin concertos. At the end of the course I am asked to read every day out loud for around 30 minutes.
In June I’m on my second course. Right off Justin tests my ears and reports an improvement on the last test in March : the auditive curves are closer together than they were, which is encouraging. 5 morning sessions follow, identical to those of March, but with added reading aloud sessions with a headset and microphone. I notice quite a significant drop in the tinnitus for a couple of afternoons.
The Tomatis techniques (Consultant’s note : exlusively with analogue equipment as digital sound will stress the auditive nerve) will always bring about improvements but cannot promise to remove the tinnitus in all cases I am told. In my case I will need some time to see, to finish the treatment and to carry on with the exercises I have been given. However, these techniques having being developed over many years and having produced excellent results in many cases they are to my mind well worth being tested. Whatever the outcome I have appreciated the quality of the support, exchanges and the human contact with Justin and Dominique, to the extent that I am planning a further course very shortly.
Continuation of the testimony after a further course of 4 days, 19th August 2016
We are mid August, time for an assessment after my third course 10 days ago.
I practise my reading aloud exercises daily for 30 minutes as well as some breathing exercises to relax the stomach and let my voice have more width. For some weeks the frequency which bothered me most (3,000 hertz in the right ear) is much reduced. These last few days I have been walking in the forest and it almost total silence in my ears. Thanking Mr and Mrs Waddell
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