Tinnitus Retraining Therapy – Is TRT Right For You?

Tinnitus retraining therapy or TRT is often used to help treat people with this condition. This type of retraining therapy involves the psychological aspect of tinnitus which can be manipulated to the point where the person no longer perceives certain sounds which have become a problem for them.

With the help of noise generators, those who undergo this type of therapy are able to eventually associate the noises they hear with an insignificant neutral signal. Those who undergo tinnitus retraining therapy must commit to it completely or else it is unlikely that it will help in any way.

Although there is the basic assertion that tinnitus has no known cure, this does not apply in the same way to TRT because of how it works. Tinnitus retraining therapy deals with the Jasterboff model as well as the Heller and Bergman experiment which are two of the building blocks that were used in creating this treatment for tinnitus sufferers.

The primary goal in this type of tinnitus treatment is to get patients habituated in using this type of therapy to the point where their awareness level of certain noises has returned to its previous state before it became a problem.

Frequency noise generators are essential in TRT because they are able to provide a background noise which is needed when getting patients habituated long-term and establishing certain auditory habits which will help to change their perception of sounds. There are two basic conditions of this therapy which must be fulfilled in order for it to be successful, starting with the person’s association with the noises produced because of the tinnitus.

Once the negative association with the person’s tinnitus has been removed, the next goal in this process is to preserve their detection of the tinnitus but not their perception, which can often times be difficult and can take a while. It is crucial for those who are undergoing this type of treatment to learn how to not habituate signals which might induce fear as well as sounds which act as “warning signals”.

With enough directive counseling, the negative association of tinnitus can be significantly reduced. Patients are taught the basic function of their auditory system and brain in relation to tinnitus. This helps to decrease the autonomic nervous system reaction which is one of the main goals of this particular treatment.

In trying to facilitate complete habituation, broad band sounds are often used. Silence enhances the sounds heard by tinnitus sufferers and those who are in the process of undergoing this type of therapy are encouraged to avoid it as much as possible. Low level sounds are the best for tinnitus patients, simply because they create a neutral emotional response and help with the habituation process. All in all, tinnitus retraining therapy can be incredibly effective for those who are willing to put enough time and effort into it.