People not suffering from depression develop tinnitus that produces suffering less regularly. Therefore for at least a significantly large percentage of the patients suffering from tinnitus, we know that many were predisposed to tinnitus by depression and before that severe stress. Anti- convulsants like Klonopin have also been shown to be successful in reducing tinnitus in large numbers of patients. The beneficial effects for tinnitus reduction and distress reduction by these medications offer us our first clues as to the causes and potential elimination of tinnitus. For many people with tinnitus, negative emotional experiences play a pivotal role in onset, suffering, and later, relief from tinnitus.
Severe tinnitus challenges the emotional stability of even the most resilient individual.
Tinnitus is far more than a simple hearing disorder. Tinnitus sounds may be similar from person to person, but the cause, onset, volume and experience of that tinnitus can be very different. Stress, depression, panic disorder, and anxiety are like fertilized soil for a farmer. The brain initially becomes aware of this noise and initially does not like the noise. The part of the brain that probably detects the potential negative impact of this noise is the amygdala.