Anxiety and Labyrinthitis?

Danb

Danb

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Since i lost my hearing 100% 3 years ago my balance went too, due to my health problems.

For the past 3 years i've had terrible anxiety. This is not characteristic of me.

I looked up Labyrinthitis (balance center in ears) anxiety and there is a connection. The reason is because when the balance is gone the person must use his vision for balance.

This makes a person in such a situation take in loads of visual information. The articles state that the Anxiety will get worse when in a crowd or wide open spaces, because it becomes more difficult to get spacial cues for balance. In turn it causes anxiety.

For a while i thought i had anxiety due to Agoraphobia only. Now doctors are telling me its from the Labyrinthitis.

Has anyone had this? How did you help it?

What are your thoughts in general on this topic?
 
NO....but many thanks for posting this...I'm learning more everyday!...Hope other members can give some insight on this....
 
No. But I will ask someone so close to me who have similiar experience as yours. Do you take anxiety pills??
 
Oddly enough I have poor balance and anxiety. I never knew they could be connected, but I am also going blind.
As I have lost more and more sight and started using a white cane, I have noticed less anxiety outside. So it looks like your theory would apply to me since anxiety went down when I can't rely so much on visual processing to walk.
 
Any change in your life, including health status, creates anxiety.
 
I don't use anxiety medicine right now. I have tried some in the past but they caused dark spots in my eyes and migraines. I may try again soon because i have some weddings to attend, and my family is super large. Lots of people at parties. Grrr. :(

I notice i also get anxious when i am in a long conversation. Does this happen to anyone else?

i have to focus on a persons mouth for lip reading to help. Once i do that for too long things start to go blurry and i start to sweat. I then look around to get my bearings and feel better, but of course lose my place in the conversation. :P

Bottesini i'm sorry about your vision loss. Its interesting to know that your anxiety got better though.

jillio, i understand the change with my health is probably part of the anxiety. I had actually only 10% hearing for 3 years before i lost hearing completely.

I used to use hearing aides but still wasn't anxious until my inner ears went at the same time as my hearing.
 
I have been total deaf for now five years today and I have no balance issues that are not caused by my neuropathy or fibromyalgia. I do have anxiety issues, but I know what is causing those (thanks Jillio) and I know it will get better. I went through massive bouts of depression, and have been known to have anxiety attacks, but those were while I still had some hearing.
 
Danb said:
I don't use anxiety medicine right now. I have tried some in the past but they caused dark spots in my eyes and migraines. I may try again soon because i have some weddings to attend, and my family is super large. Lots of people at parties. Grrr. :(

I notice i also get anxious when i am in a long conversation. Does this happen to anyone else?

i have to focus on a persons mouth for lip reading to help. Once i do that for too long things start to go blurry and i start to sweat. I then look around to get my bearings and feel better, but of course lose my place in the conversation. :P

Bottesini i'm sorry about your vision loss. Its interesting to know that your anxiety got better though.

jillio, i understand the change with my health is probably part of the anxiety. I had actually only 10% hearing for 3 years before i lost hearing completely.

I used to use hearing aides but still wasn't anxious until my inner ears went at the same time as my hearing.
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Not saying that there is anything wrong with you...but have you tried consulting with a counselor? It really does help with learning skills to deal with anxiety, and also with adjusting to health related issues.
 
KristinaB said:
I have been total deaf for now five years today and I have no balance issues that are not caused by my neuropathy or fibromyalgia. I do have anxiety issues, but I know what is causing those (thanks Jillio) and I know it will get better. I went through massive bouts of depression, and have been known to have anxiety attacks, but those were while I still had some hearing.
Click to expand...

:wave:
 
jillio said:
Not saying that there is anything wrong with you...but have you tried consulting with a counselor? It really does help with learning skills to deal with anxiety, and also with adjusting to health related issues.
Click to expand...

I've had health problems all my life, and learned at a very young age how to cope with that.

Yeah i go to a counselor. That's where i began when i started having anxiety. Once the meds and counseling didn't work they thought about the Labyrinthitis after i told my primary care, audiologist and counselor my symptoms.

It all has to do with too much visual input. Trying to see, at the same time, people's mouths in a crowd to help with lip reading , and get visual cues for balance is very difficult causing stress and anxiety.

Its not just a matter of taking meds or going to counseling. What i've learned so far is its about trying to find ways to help physically, or limit exposure in those situations because it is a physical trigger. One that no matter how much deep breathing or behavioral adaptations you've learned from a psychologist, the anxiety still happens.

I used to be on crutches for a long time when i was younger because of rheumatoid arthritis in my knees. Sometimes i'd have to take stairs to get to a doctors offices. It made me very anxious. Sure i could climb the stairs but no matter how much i tried to THINK it away, the stairs still caused anxiety. :)
 
Danb said:
I've had health problems all my life, and learned at a very young age how to cope with that.

Yeah i go to a counselor. That's where i began when i started having anxiety. Once the meds and counseling didn't work they thought about the Labyrinthitis after i told my primary care, audiologist and counselor my symptoms.

It all has to do with too much visual input. Trying to see, at the same time, people's mouths in a crowd to help with lip reading , and get visual cues for balance is very difficult causing stress and anxiety.

Its not just a matter of taking meds or going to counseling. What i've learned so far is its about trying to find ways to help physically, or limit exposure in those situations because it is a physical trigger. One that no matter how much deep breathing or behavioral adaptations you've learned from a psychologist, the anxiety still happens.

I used to be on crutches for a long time when i was younger because of rheumatoid arthritis in my knees. Sometimes i'd have to take stairs to get to a doctors offices. It made me very anxious. Sure i could climb the stairs but no matter how much i tried to THINK it away, the stairs still caused anxiety. :)
Click to expand...

I understand what you are saying. Perhaps if you found a counselor that was familiar with your particular health problems, and could distinquish between what is an actual medical issue, and what is an anxiety issue it would help. Never hurts to learn skills that can help you reduce anxiety on your own.
 
Wow this sound familiar

Danb said:
Since i lost my hearing 100% 3 years ago my balance went too, due to my health problems.

For the past 3 years i've had terrible anxiety. This is not characteristic of me.

I looked up Labyrinthitis (balance center in ears) anxiety and there is a connection. The reason is because when the balance is gone the person must use his vision for balance.

This makes a person in such a situation take in loads of visual information. The articles state that the Anxiety will get worse when in a crowd or wide open spaces, because it becomes more difficult to get spacial cues for balance. In turn it causes anxiety.

For a while i thought i had anxiety due to Agoraphobia only. Now doctors are telling me its from the Labyrinthitis.

Has anyone had this? How did you help it?

What are your thoughts in general on this topic?
Click to expand...




Well ..Wow..I have had stomach churning anxiety and loss of balance, vertigo since I lost my hearing as well. I was tested for Labyrinthitis but nope. After seven years of hearing all kinds of noises and radio stations and people talking (all in side my head) but silence outside , cant even hear my own voice..I learned that some of the anxiety was a natural response to the changes going on...I can not be in large groups and still fall down alot..it's
frightening I know. But I take a mild anti anxiety med and do yogo and meditate twice a day and i can tell you from my own experience i have improved. I do not fall down as much..lol..I still get a bit excitied when going to a new place or a large group evenrt , but i use breathing techniques and I am doing fine..I have bigger things to worry about, but that's just me. I hope you can find some relief. the visual thing is also a help to keep me
stable.. but if I can not be in complete darkness or tilt my head all the way back in the shower or anywhere, or down i go. Good Luck to you and Many Blessings..Peace Begins Within..give it a chance...Midnight♥♥♥
 
I used to be very anxious too. It started after becoming an adult. I was able to make a connection to the things making me anxious were directly related to things I could not hear and caused me concern (thanks Jillio too because you and I talked about this). Sorry I can't be of more help, Dan, because I think my anxiety wasn't related to balance issues. But she's right, talking to an outside party of your anxiety concerns may help.
 
AlleyCat said:
I used to be very anxious too. It started after becoming an adult. I was able to make a connection to the things making me anxious were directly related to things I could not hear and caused me concern (thanks Jillio too because you and I talked about this). Sorry I can't be of more help, Dan, because I think my anxiety wasn't related to balance issues. But she's right, talking to an outside party of your anxiety concerns may help.
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You are most welcome, AlleyCat!:wave:
 
MidnightSun said:
Well ..Wow..I have had stomach churning anxiety and loss of balance, vertigo since I lost my hearing as well. I was tested for Labyrinthitis but nope. After seven years of hearing all kinds of noises and radio stations and people talking (all in side my head) but silence outside , cant even hear my own voice..I learned that some of the anxiety was a natural response to the changes going on...I can not be in large groups and still fall down alot..it's
frightening I know. But I take a mild anti anxiety med and do yogo and meditate twice a day and i can tell you from my own experience i have improved. I do not fall down as much..lol..I still get a bit excitied when going to a new place or a large group evenrt , but i use breathing techniques and I am doing fine..I have bigger things to worry about, but that's just me. I hope you can find some relief. the visual thing is also a help to keep me
stable.. but if I can not be in complete darkness or tilt my head all the way back in the shower or anywhere, or down i go. Good Luck to you and Many Blessings..Peace Begins Within..give it a chance...Midnight♥♥♥
Click to expand...

Thanks you understand perfectly. I do the other things you've mentioned but it only helps to a point. Switching counselors will not get rid of it.

On the flip side though, i understand that their are people who get anxious even when they have good balance but poor hearing.

My point was that the labyrinthitis can lead to anxiety, but not that it definately does for everyone. People should just be aware of it, that's all.

There is physical therapy that has been shown to help some for it. I will be going to my doctor next week to find out more about that.
 
I guess you guys missed the sentence where i said i've been going to a counselor for the anxiety, and that's how we figured out that the anxiety was being triggered by the labyrinthitis.

Sorry t be snarky, but its like im being ignored.


Oh wait i know what the problem is here... I should've made the topic Labyrinthitis Causing Anxiety.

Not the other way around, because it leads people to believe that anxiety is causing the dizziness. Which means then treating the anxiety through a counselor is the cure, when in fact helping the labyrinthitis would cure the anxiety.

My bad... :lol:
 
Danb said:
I guess you guys missed the sentence where i said i've been going to a counselor for the anxiety, and that's how we figured out that the anxiety was being triggered by the labyrinthitis.

Sorry t be snarky, but its like im being ignored.


Oh wait i know what the problem is here... I should've made the topic Labyrinthitis Causing Anxiety.

Not the other way around, because it leads people to believe that anxiety is causing the dizziness. Which means then treating the anxiety through a counselor is the cure, when in fact helping the labyrinthitis would cure the anxiety.

My bad... :lol:
Click to expand...

No, we aren't ignoring you. Simply saying that no matter the cause of the anxiety, there are skills you can learn to reduce it.
 
I have balance problems, too. I've noticed that I get overwhelmed in the grocery store more often. Maybe that's connected. Of course, our local grocery store is huge. It's a hike to just get across the store.

Try googling "sensory ataxia." That will yield more info. Basically, a person with sensory ataxia falls over when she closes her eyes. One thing that I never do is walk around in the dark because that's an accident waiting to happen.
 
jillio said:
No, we aren't ignoring you. Simply saying that no matter the cause of the anxiety, there are skills you can learn to reduce it.
Click to expand...

I know, i get it. I understand what you said but its not true. The point is that even the counselor suggested not putting myself in situations that will trigger dizziness, which in turn triggers the anxiety. His own analogy was "beating a dead horse".

Think about someone who is on a long sea voyage. Gets seasick. Being sick causes anxiety because no one likes being sick. You wouldn't expose yourself to being at sea everyday if you're prone to getting seasick, would you?

Just curious, are you a psychologist or a counselor? If you are please suggest some helpful techniques, i'm all ears. :) Maybe i haven't tried them this past year and a half since going to the counselor.

Also the treatment is mainly vestibular physical therapy, not counseling.
 
Cognitive therapy does help anxiety not matter what the cause. There are some strategies that I find helpful.

It sounds like what you need most is to physically stabilize your body to avoid dizziness. Have you consulted with a neurologist?
 
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