Dr. Hanscom's Blog Embracing Adversity – Tinnitus

A radio interview
Tinnitus is an annoying symptom that I had experienced since 1985. In another website post, The Ringing in My Ears, I tell my story about how it has all but disappeared. I recently was interviewed on a radio program and the host shared his experience with tinnitus.
A Surgery gone wrong
He had required a surgical procedure on his ear when he was 19 years-old. The surgeon slipped and perforated his eardrum. He initially had a lot of pain that resolved over several months but ended up with significant ringing in his ear.
He spent years being frustrated at the symptom and also at the surgeon who had caused him so much suffering. His quality of life was not close to where he wanted it, particularly at such a young age.
Tinnitus gone
As I was being interviewed it was clear that he knew much more about the Mind Body Syndrome principles than most people I had talked to. Yet he had not been exposed to the concept. I began to ask him a couple of questions as he indicated that the tinnitus was no longer a problem.
Letting go
At some point he realized that the energy he was expending being angry was a waste of time. There was nothing he could do about it. He made a decision to accept his ringing and in an odd way “made friends” with it. Although it was not his intention to get rid of the symptom, over the next few years the ringing stopped. He only occasionally experiences it.
You cannot “fix” yourself

The intent of the DOCC project is to create a nervous system shift into a more enjoyable and functional place. The more you fight and try to “fix” your symptoms the stronger they will become. You will become worn out. It is similar to an insect being trapped in a spider web. As he quit reacting to the signal from his hears his nervous system shifted into different place. Eventually the pathways became less functional and he really did have relief of his symptoms.
Embracing Adversity
He went a step further and somehow embraced his tinnitus. Viktor Frankl tells a similar, more intense story. His book is titled Man’s Search for Meaning. He was a Jewish psychiatrist who survived the concentration camps but lost several immediate family members. Somehow in the midst of indescribable suffering he felt it was important not only to find one’s purpose in life, but also to find meaning in suffering.
What is your choice?
Remember that in the big picture of life stress is not the problem. It is how you choose to react to it. It is only by letting go, and possibly embracing your adversities, will you be able to move past your pain into a full and rich life. What is your choice?