MINDFULNESS FOR TINNITUS: A FREE ONLINE CLASS
Peter Vernezze PhD
Weclome to my free online mindfulness for tinnitus class. When I developed tinnitus, mindfulness training was the game changer. Now, a substantial body of evidence demonstrates the ability of mindfulness training to reduce tinnitus distress. A 2019 systematic review found that a decrease of tinnitus distress scores occurred directly post therapy in seven moderate to high quality studies, with six of the seven studies showing a "statistically significant decrease in tinnitus distress scores directly after mindfulness training." I am a licensed behavioral health therapist and qualified teacher of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), the gold standard of mindfulness training. The method I teach is the method I have used to work with my own tinnitus and with hundreds of tinnitus-challenged clients.
Too often we are told that there is nothing that can be done with our tinnitus diagnosis. This is simply false. While it is true there is no magic bullet when it comes to tinnitus—no surgery, device, or pill that will silence it (at least not yet)—taken together, the actions we can engage in such as sound therapy, hearing aids, support groups, taking care of our physical and mental health, as well as numerous psychological interventions, including mindfulness, are truly transformative.
The class is self-paced, so you can take however long you need to work through the material. Importantly, these six weeks (or however long you take) are just the beginning. The class is designed to teach you the fundamental skills of mindfulness as they apply to tinnitus. Upon completing the class, my hope is that you begin to apply these skills to your life with tinnitus. To help with this process, at the end of class I provide you with a six-month program (also free) that will assist you in setting out confidently on your path to habituation.
My YouTube interview on Treble Health: The Two Techniques That Help Improve Tinnitus
TINNITUS AND MENTAL HEALTH
The tinnitus community confronts a mental health crisis. According to reliable reserach, those with tinnitus have 2 to 3 times the rates of anxiety disorders and clincial depression of the general population as well as increased suicidal ideation. This class is NOT intended to replace mental health therapy. If you are struggling with your mental health as a result of tinnitus, please consider reaching out to a professional.
In your search for a therapist, I would suggest you not focus on whether the therapist is expert in one particular form of therapy. Research going back decades suggests that the most important component of successful therapy is not the particular treatment that your therapist uses. Rather the most likely predictor of whether you will benefit from therapy is what is known as the therapeutic alliince-- the collaborative, trusting relationship between a therapist and a client. A good place to begin your search is with the Psychology Today website (link below)
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What is Mindfulness (and How Can it Help with Tinnitus)?
We can define mindfulness with the words of Jon Kabat-Zinn: “the awareness that arises through paying attention on purpose in the present moment nonjudgmentally.” If that definition sounds abstract, here’s a concrete example. Hold your hand in front of your face and stare at it. Unless you have a hand fetish, you are more than likely in a state of mindfulness, that is, you are experiencing the present moment, nonjudgmentally i.e., without reacting either positively or negatively to it. That’s mindfulness. Now this state of just observing the present moment without reacting positively or negatively is a lot easier when you’re looking at your hand and with your dealing with tinnitus. And this is where mindfulness training comes into the picture.
The classic, evidence-based training for mindfulness is the 8-week program known as mindfulness-based stress reduction or MBSR. This program was developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn in the late1970s. There have been literally thousands of studies demonstrating the effectiveness of this program for a myriad of conditions. In the case of tinnitus there have been around a dozen studies demonstrating the effectiveness of mindfulness for reducing tinnitus distress. While this class is not the 8-week MBSR class, I am a qualified teacher of MBSR, and I have based this class on my training in that area as well as on my experience as a meditation teacher, my work as mental health therapist, and my life as someone with tinnitus.
So how does mindfulness help reduce tinnitus distress? Mindfulness, as I stated, is nonjudgmental present moment awareness—the ability to simply observe the present moment without reacting to it either positively or negatively. Habituation involves observing the sound of your tinnitus without reacting to it either positively or negatively. Hence, mindfulness training is demonstrated to teach the very skill--nonjudgmental/nonreactive awareness of present moment experieince--involved in habituation.
This, admittedly, is hard work. I often compare mindfulness training to weight training. Just like weight training strengthens our muscles, mindfulness training strengthens the muscle of our attention (so that it can be nonreactive to tinnitus). And in all honesty it’s not for everyone. In my program, you will be doing 30-45 minutes of practice daily for the six weeks. Also, from what we know about the benefits of mindfulness, when one stops practicing, the benefits go away, just like with weight training. So mindfulness is not a one and done program but a lifelong commitment. But it is one, I would argue, that has tremendous benefits, not just for tinnitus but for your entire life.
Is This Class Really Free?
The class is totally and completely free. I do accept donations to help cover the cost of the website, of hiring someone to monitor and work on the site, and for the work I put in on the site. (There is a donation link at the top of this website). But this is neither expected nor required.
The model and motivation for this class is the website palousemindfulness.com, which offers a free version of the incredibly successful 8-week MBSR class.That class is not designed to take any customers away from legitimate teachers of MBSR; rather, its function is to offer an option for those who simply cannot afford the class in person or online. So too, I don’t want to take anything away from those who are currently providing services to those with tinnitus. But not everyone can afford those services, and they deserve treatment as well. I don’t believe the ability to have one’s suffering reduced should depend on whether one can afford it.
If You Want More
This class is intended to be self-guided. However, I am available for one-on-one work for the entire class or for an individuual session as well. I provide free 15-minute consultations. You can see my services and rates at my website www.therapistwithtinnitus.com
Unfortunately, I am unable to accept insurance for these services.
Our Program
Your Instructor
Free, Weekly Meditation Instruction
Refund/withdrawl policy
The Program
Other Resources
Supplemental Meditation Instruction
CLASS SYLLABUS
CLASS ONE: MINDFULNESS AND TINNITUS
Tinnitus distress is a product not of the sound of our tinnitus but of the way our body and our mind are responding to the sound. Mindfulness allows us to work with the physical and mental response to tinnitus in a way that sets us on the path towards habituation. You are introduced to the practice of formal mediation. The connection between mindfulness and meditation is explored. We focus on the fundamental meditation skill of concentration and discuss its role in habituation as well as explore the difference between formal and informal mindfulness practices.
CLASS TWO: THOUGHT AND TINNITUS DISTRESS
In this class we focus on the role that our thoughts play in our tinnitus distress. Thoughts constitute what is known as the second arrow of suffering. Our thoughts about whatever condition we are undergoing, including tinnitus, can be a source of suffering distinct from the condition. While classic Cognitive Behavior Therapy would have us challenge and replace our thoughts, mindfulness works with thoughts through observing them and letting them, recognizing that if we don’t get hooked into a thought it will cease to trouble us. In addition, we will expand the range of our informal mindfulness practices and discuss the connection between formal and informal mindfulness practices and our tinnitus.
CLASS 3: TINNITUS AND THE BODY
This week we will examine the body as a separate source of tinnitus distress. Research tells us that the nervous system of those with tinnitus is in more of an activated state (fight or flight) than those without tinnitus. Hence, to work with the physical side of tinnitus distress, we need tools and techniques to bring the body out of this activated state. After a review of the basics of the nervous system and the impact that tinnitus can have on the nervous system, you will learn practices to help you bring the body out of sympathetic activation (fight or flight). We will specifically focus on the breath as a device by which you can gain control over the nervous system and how you respond to your tinnitus.
CLASS 4: TINNITUS AND THE EMOTIONS
Many of us have mistaken views about our emotions. We think we are at the mercy of our emotions, including our emotions regarding tinnitus. But in fact, since emotions are a combination of body and thought, and we have a modicum of control over each of these, we do ultimately have much more control over our emotions than we believe. In this session you will begin to learn how to work with negative emotions in order to increase your ability to tolerate them as well as how to begin to generate more positive emotions. Both of these skills are essential in developing a healthy attitude towards tinnitus.
CLASS 5: TINNITUS AND STRESS
If there is one thing I have become convinced of in my years of living with tinnitus and working with my clients, it is that stress makes tinnitus worse. Fortunately, forty plus years of research has demonstrated that mindfulness training is one of the most effective strategies for reducing stress. This week we will look at a variety of methods drawn both from the world of mental health in general and from mindfulness practice in particular to reduce our overall stress level.
CLASS 6: LIVING WELL WITH TINNITUS
This week we broaden our focus even further to look at our tinnitus in the context of our life as a whole. You had a rich, full life before the tinnitus struck, and you can have a rich, full life again. Specifically, we will see how tinnitus, which we initially perceived as undermining the quality of our lives, can actually be a tool to increase our sense of meaning and purpose. Specifically, we will draw on material from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
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Peter Vernezze LMSW, PhD
520-345-5271
Medical disclaimer
All content found on this website, including text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The course described on this website is not therapy, since the tinnitus distress it addresses is not a recognized disorder in the DSM 5. If you are suffering from the depression and anxiety that can go along with tinnitus, please see a mental health professional in your area. If you are currently in therapy, please consult with your mental health professional before signing up for this class. If you have any question about whether this class is appropriate for you, I encourage you to contact me before signing up.
If you have a medical or mental health emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately.
Reliance on any information provided by this website is solely at your own risk. Links to educational content not created by this website and Peter Vernezze are taken at your own risk. This website and Peter Vernezze are not responsible for the claims of external websites.