Urgent Help Needed. Severe Hyperacusis and Tinnitus.
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Help Me Get Treatment for Severe Hyperacusis & Tinnitus
| My Story
I'm reaching out because I'm facing a medical crisis that has left me financially devastated and desperately needing specialized treatment. I have severe hyperacusis coupled with tinnitus - both recognized ADA disabilities that have completely transformed my life.
Anything further will be put towards my relocation costs so me, Sarah, and George the Dog™ can get to a location where I can heal.
I will continue to update on my progress and again, a major thank you to anyone who has donated and will donate going further!
UPDATE: I have a specialists appointment available Monday with UCSF and with heart-felt and massive THANK YOU to all who have donated thus far, I have the funds to attend this appointment.
| What Are These Conditions?
I have been dual diagnosed with both severe hyperacusis and tinnitus by both an Audiologist and an ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist). While I cannot discuss the cause of these conditions at this time, the diagnoses are well-documented and medically verified.
Severe Hyperacusis is a neurological condition where my auditory system processes sounds as unbearably loud and physically painful. Beyond typical everyday sounds like dishes or conversation, I'm extremely sensitive to low-frequency noises that permeate modern living:
- Airplanes overhead, especially when obscured by clouds
- Car exhausts and engine rumbles
- HVAC and exhaust systems from buildings
- Vehicles and motorcycles
- Subwoofers and bass frequencies
- Industrial and mechanical sounds that carry for miles
- Refrigerator compressor's & house fans.
These low-frequency sounds penetrate walls and travel long distances, making escape nearly impossible in populated areas.
Tinnitus creates constant ringing, buzzing, or hissing that never stops - like having a fire alarm perpetually sounding in my head. Wearing ear protection makes my tinnitus much worse.
Severe Memory Impairment is a lesser-known but devastating aspect of these conditions occurring together. My short-term memory is severely compromised - I frequently forget what I'm doing while doing it, lose track of conversations mid-sentence, and struggle to retain new information. This cognitive impact worsens daily and significantly compounds the disability.
| What I Can No Longer Do
These conditions have eliminated many fundamental aspects of normal life:
- Any large gatherings - crowds generate overwhelming sound levels
- Restaurants with multiple people talking - the acoustic environment is unbearable
- Live music, events, or live sports - completely inaccessible
- Flying to see family or friends - aircraft noise and airport environments are impossible
- Drive longer distances - extended exposure to road noise and traffic sounds
- Most social activities outside my home - limited to very select, controlled settings
- Work in traditional environments
- Live in populated areas due to unavoidable sound exposure
- Maintain cognitive function for complex tasks
- Sleep peacefully, often waking up to noises.
| My Current Situation
Living with these conditions in a modern environment is unsustainable.
I am currently living in an office that is moderately quieter than my home until 9:30PM every day, returning to sleep, eat and shower.
The constant exposure to unavoidable low-frequency sounds means I need to:
- Relocate to a secluded and extremely quiet location - This is the critical first step for any chance of recovery. Moving costs, deposits, and securing suitable housing in isolated areas requires significant upfront investment.
- Begin specialized treatment immediately - The neuroplasticity required for recovery involves retraining my brain to create new neural pathways and fundamentally change my relationship with sound. This process can take years and may never fully resolve.
Current barriers:
- Financial Obligations preventing treatment.
- Initial specialist consultation fees
- Ongoing treatment session costs (monthly visits)
- Moving and relocation expenses to find a suitable quiet environment
- No insurance coverage for these specialized treatments
| The Treatment and Recovery Process
Recovery from severe hyperacusis and tinnitus requires a multi-faceted approach:
- Environmental Modification: Moving to a location free from the constant barrage of low-frequency sounds that trigger my condition. This quiet environment is essential for the nervous system to begin healing.
- Specialized Therapy: Evidence-based treatments including:
Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT)
Sound sensitivity desensitization protocols
Cognitive restructuring to address the memory and concentration impacts
Neuroplasticity-based interventions to retrain auditory processing
- Timeline to Recovery: While recovery is not always guaranteed, it may take consistent treatment over years to rewire my brain's response to sound stimuli, and repair my nervous system.
| How Your Donation Helps
This money will go directly toward:
- Relocation costs to move to a remote, quiet environment suitable for recovery
- Resolving financial obligations to heal quicker.
- Specialized hyperacusis and tinnitus treatment sessions over the coming months
- Basic living expenses during the recovery and transition period.
| Why I'm Asking for Help
This is a short-term stabilization solution while I complete long-term financial arrangements, such as disability, which may take a year or longer to approve.
However, I cannot currently work due to the combination of severe short-term memory issues and complete inability to concentrate. The cognitive impacts make traditional employment impossible - I currently have difficulty retaining information, complete tasks reliably, or maintain focus for work-related activities.
Traditional support systems aren't designed for conditions like mine. The combination of severe sound sensitivity, memory impairment, and the need for environmental isolation makes conventional employment and assistance programs inaccessible.
Recovery requires both immediate environmental changes and long-term specialized treatment. The neurological nature of these conditions means that without proper intervention, symptoms typically worsen over time. I have begun to experience this phenomenon and am very afraid how badly this can get.
I'm seeking bridge funding to take the essential first step - relocating to an environment where healing can begin - and accessing the specialized care needed while my longer-term solutions develop.
| What This Means to Me
Every donation represents hope for accessing evidence-based treatment for these complex neurological conditions. Your support enables the critical first step of environmental modification and the beginning of a potentially years-long journey to retrain my auditory processing system.
This isn't just about immediate relief - it's about funding a comprehensive approach to a serious disability that affects every aspect of cognitive and sensory function.
| Thank You
If you can't donate, please consider sharing this campaign. People with hyperacusis and tinnitus often suffer in silence because these conditions are so misunderstood.
Raising awareness is almost as valuable as financial support.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story and for any help you can provide.
Organizer
Casey Corbin
Organizer
Sausalito, CA