Just to fill you in on the background here, for the last 3 years or so I've had chronic tinnitus. The noise in my ear is 24/7 and it drives me absolutely crazy, but medication doesn't help. I'm only a few months away from graduation and I'm really struggling to concentrate on studying so I'm kinda messing it all up really.
Today I saw the ENT consultant who (after making me wait nearly an hour) gave me 2 minutes of his time to tell me to play music and come back in 6 months. For starters, music is far more distracting when I'm trying to learn the ins and outs of biological science, and also he was rude and unhelpful and made me feel like my problem wasn't a problem at all and I should be thankful I don't have more symptoms.
I was so furious I went out and scoffed a 250g bar of Dairy Milk. I'm not normally an emotional eater, just a bored one, but I feel like I have more reasons to medicate with food now. Can anyone give me any advice at all on how to avoid doing this? I tried to convince myself on the way to the shop that the dress hanging on my wardrobe door should stop me but it failed miserably. I'm so mad with myself now.

Sorry for the 'War and Peace' story but I'm desperate!

I'm really sorry that you have tinnitus. I know it causes misery to those who suffer from and that really sucks.

I am usually like you insofar as I eat when I'm bored more than angry etc so it's not something that I've had to deal with very often. However, on the occasions that I have gone to eat something out of anger I have always talked myself out of it on the basis that they would win. I know, I know - they don't know they're in a competition but whatever works... I absolutely hate losing and if I am angry because somebody makes me feel that way then if I eat because of it I see it as them getting the ultimate coup and that's not going to happen

Now that it's happened though don't beat yourself up about it.

I'm sorry for your discomfort.....the doctor is an Jackass and you should tell him so much, especially after your bout with frustration and candy. (and you paid him?) You DONT have to take what he says as gospel truth....ask him for recommendation to someone else....you need relief not a lecture on how greatful you should be that you are not MORE ill.

I'm not familiar with Tinnitus, have you checked webMD?

WWAB Is it possible to see another doctor? Unfortunately some doctors don't have a good bedside manner.

As for the emotional eating, a big thing with me. I'm not very good at giving advice.

Some suggestions chew gum, brush your teeth, have a drink of water, exercise.

Hope you get some relief soon from the tinnitus. Good luck with the exams.

Marbleflys, medical treatment here in the UK is free, it's just as well really, I'd be really furious if I'd paid for that. However, after spending the last hour or so in tears on the phone to my mum, she's gonna use her savings to get me a private appointment hopefully with someone who cares. This is the second NHS consultant I've seen - the first one laughed at me when I asked what my options would be if the medication didn't work.
I know it's not that big a deal really and I have no right to get this upset, but I'm waiting to be tested for PCOS and the doctor just cancelled that appointment this morning, plus I had my contraceptive implant removed on Monday so my hormones are everywhere. I also have 6 weeks to write a dissertation that I haven't even thought about and everything in my life seems to be imploding just now. I apologise for the ranting, I'm going to drink a bottle of wine and go to my 3 hour lecture hungover tomorrow.

Norplant? I remember having mine removed, no side effects though, just took forever to dig them out, lots of local...picture this....(truestory)...Dr. Jeff from the Biggest Loser at his top weight trying to get enough torque to pull them out....I thought he was going to put his foot on my bicep and pull.

your doc. didn't cancel the OB/gyn appt. on purpose...take a deep breath, drink 1/2 of the wine and plan your dissertation, write an outline to start. one thing at a time, can you get an extension on the dissertation for medical reasons?

I've heard that 'white noise' - the noise that a radio makes when its off station - helps with tinnitus. I went to Uni with a woman who suffered from it (studying Law) and the white noise thing was the only way she could deal with the shed loads of course work and revision we had to do.

As for emotional eating... difficult one.... because its a habit rather than a need you're dealing with. As rational adults we KNOW that eating won't solve our problems - but its a hard habit to beat, far harder than booze, cigarettes, gambling or other kinds of addicition - even drugs - because, of course, you still need to eat even when you want to break your dependancy on it.

Its too late for this time but how about preparing yourself for the next time you feel miserable. Maybe making some healthy sweet healthy foods (fruit?) more easily available - maybe keep some 80% chocolate in the fridge for absolute emergencies.

I've just emailed someone at the Uni to find out what they can do for me. I'm sick of having to stick to the same deadlines as everyone else when everything takes me 3 times as long. I've never asked for an extension in my life but I don't see why I can't ask for a bit of help when I'm really struggling like this.
I know none of this is happening on purpose and I'm genuinely not one of those 'the world's against me' kind of people, it's just one of those things where the frustration of the tinnitus is killing me and the hormones are settling and logic goes out the window. My great aunt died a couple of weeks ago and my aunt has a horrible aggressive cancer and my grandpa has severe Alzheimers and doesn't know who I am..... At the moment it just feels like everything is happening at once.

Okay - I'm on the phone with my Uni friend. Sorry for the typing, I'm typing this as she says it in real time. She says she used to work at home (still often does) with her headphones plugged in to her stereo with the radio thingy tuned to off station and the volume turned fairly low. She had no big problem in class (or at work) because of the background noise - same as the library - it is only working at home in silence which is/was the real problem. She recommends working in the library as much as possible.

She says she had to throw a real wobbly (tantrum) before anyone would take the tinnitus seriously but there is nothing they can really do except offer masking techniques.

She also uses the radio thing to be able to get off to sleep at night.

Thats it really - she finds MP3 players really useful.

Sarah you're wonderful. Thank you so much for that. I'm going to give it a shot, god knows I'll try anything. I do have some problems in lectures depending on the lecturers voice - I struggle to hear properly when people have deep voices because that's similar in tone to my noise so voices are muffled, but it's when I need silence that's the main problem. Thank you a million times.

Wanna - your welcome! Peta (Uni friend) said to play around with the different wavelengths/bands to find the white noise that suits you and try varying the volume - she says you might need it lower than you think.

HERE is a link to the British Tinnitus Association and they've got a list of support groups which might be able to help.

Just a thought.... have you considered using one of those hand held dictaphone/voice recorders to tape your lectures then you can play them back to re-listen to the bits where you had a problem. Thats what my friend used to do and by the end of the first year most of the rest of us were doing the same. Our lecturers didn't mind at all but you might want to ask first - explain the problem - most reasonable people will be only too glad to help.