CBT vs TRT vs Mindfulness: Which Tinnitus Management Style is Right for You?
If you have searched online for tinnitus management strategies, there is a good chance that you’ve come across the abbreviations and terms: cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT), and mindfulness. These are popular approaches with proven results but how do you know which one fits your needs? In this article, we go over each school of thought so you can make a well-informed decision for your care and your path to the habituation of tinnitus.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on shifting the thoughts (cognitive) and actions/reactions (behavior) to tinnitus. This is achieved through cognitive restructuring, which addresses negative or catastrophic thinking, and behavioral activation, which encourages staying involved in the routines and activities that keep you engaged in a full life. While CBT is traditionally provided by licensed mental health professionals (clinical psychologists, clinical social workers, mental health counselors), audiologists who specialize in tinnitus may guide patients through CBT-informed counseling and utilize classic CBT techniques.
Tinnitus Retraining Therapy
Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) addresses the neurophysiology behind bothersome tinnitus. The approach combines educational counseling with targeted sound therapy in the form of ear-level devices with personalized noise generators or hearing aids if there is a diagnosed hearing loss. It works to demystify the experience of tinnitus while retraining the brain’s response to it. TRT is provided by audiologists who specialize in tinnitus management.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness for tinnitus reshapes the brain and body’s relationship to tinnitus. This is accomplished through nervous system/ mind-body education, meditation, and breathwork. Through these practices, individuals learn to be present, self-aware, and non-judgmental in order to habituate to bothersome tinnitus. Services are provided by audiologists who specialize in tinnitus and psychologists.
The Success of Shared Methodology
Tinnitus management is most successful when we combine various tools and approach habituation with a willingness to explore our personal needs and goals. This opens the door to combining strategies, even within a specific program or with a specific provider. For example, there are mindfulness programs that teach through the lens of CBT (Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy) or stress reduction (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction). There are TRT and CBT programs that utilize breathwork and meditation, which are mainstays of mindfulness practices.
How to Choose the Right Fit for Tinnitus Management
The styles discussed here are not all-encompassing. There are many approaches to meet the needs of many preferences, personalities, and experiences. When choosing a tinnitus management program, consider your learning style and the support system the program offers. What resources are available through the program and does it match the way that you learn and connect to new information?
Managing bothersome tinnitus isn’t about finding the quick fix or the perfect answer. It’s about making the subtle lifestyle and mindset shifts that can guide you to sustainable change and lasting habituation.
