Support Through Connection
By Caleb Scoville, MS, LPC
Connections and relations in this life are crucial to wellbeing. What happens when that ability is disrupted? We are not made to be alone, the sense we are alone can create major anxiety. Giving someone the space to voice that fear reduces distress greatly.
In January 2024, the Hough Ear Institute started the first and only Tinnitus Support Group in Oklahoma at Crossings Community Church in Oklahoma City (also available via zoom for those who are not near or able to travel). I was honored to be asked to facilitate this group and have witnessed and experienced the hope that comes through the shared support.
Many may ask “ Is that (tinnitus) the ringing in the ear(s) thing?” The answer would be yes, and perhaps surprising to many, there are many silent sufferers of tinnitus across the world. For many, it can take on an all- encompassing distraction that overshadows all aspects of their lives.
Tinnitus, like grief is a subjective condition that is difficult to assess because everyone experiences it differently but to summarize it briefly:
The American Tinnitus Association (ATA) defines tinnitus as a neurological and audiological condition causing individuals to perceive sound when there is no external noise. The sounds can be described as ringing, buzzing, hissing, whistling, swooshing, clicking or even, hearing music. Tinnitus can be acute or chronic, soft or loud, continuous or intermittent and pulsing or steady. While there is no “cure” for tinnitus, there is treatment; there is support; and there is always Hope.
Find community and connection with people who "get" what it's like to struggle whether that be with chronic tinnitus, grief, or something different. What we must anchor to is hope and the truth that we do not have to do life alone. We can find support in one another.
For more information about the “Tinnitus Together" support group and other hearing related conditions please see the websites below.
This article was written by Caleb Scoville, MS, LPC-S. Caleb Scoville is clinical member of our Staff and Owner of Transforming Life Counseling Center.
