Tinnitus Online Support

Some of the best help comes from other people who've been there.
These pages are an attempt to aid online communication between people with tinnitus. They're oriented to English-speakers, though I have listed some German- and French- language tinnitus resources.

These pages are dedicated to the memory of Susan Moreland.

Chats

Talk (type) to each other in real-time. Most chats require a java-enabled web browser, and in the past that has prevented WebTV and AOL users from participating. However both these groups can join IRC chats. If you don't know what IRC is don't worry, help is available.

Chat times are given in USA Eastern time. USA time zone offsets from Eastern:
Pacific is 3 hours behind, Mountain is 2 hours behind, Central is 1 hour behind.

#tinnitus chat (IRC NewNet) and (Web NewNet)

These web pages were created in response to the help given me by this group, which met on Fridays on the NewNet IRC network channel #tinnitus. The scheduled English chats are on Fridays starting about 9:30 pm Eastern time. German chats at times convenient for Europeans were added in January 1999. Other pages on this site give details such as the chat schedule, help with IRC, and other information useful to the chat group.

The scheduled chats were discontinued in 2002 because after 6 years of regular use, attendance finally stopped (originals moved on, influx of new people eventually stopped). However all it takes to start them up again is a group of people who want to talk about tinnitus at agreed times. The NewNet IRC network and the #tinnitus room are still accessible. Try discussing the possibility on one of the message boards to see if there is sufficient interest to start chats here or in another location.

Yahoo Tinnitus Support Chat (Web)

Requires java-enabled web browser. Started January 1999 by participants in one of the Tinnitus Message boards. Chats Wednesdays at 10 pm Eastern time. Status unknown as of January 2003.

The Tinnitus Support Chat Room (Web)

Requires java-enabled web browser. Mondays, 9-9:30 pm Eastern time. Status unknown as of January 2003.

Email Lists

To use one of these lists, you must subscribe by sending email in a special format to the list's request address. Subscription is free. After subscribing, you'll get email from other list subscribers and any email you send to the mailing list will be seen and can be responded to by anyone who subscribes to the list.
You'll usually want to save the subscription acknowledgement email you receive, as it will probably contain:

the email address you'll use to send mail to list subscribers. This is almost always NOT the address you used to subscribe.
instructions for unsubscribing, if you decide you no longer want to receive email from the list.

Dizzinews

Dizzinews is a vestibular disorder discussion group. You can subscribe by visiting http://lists.samurai.com/mailman/listinfo/dizzinews.

Message Boards

Read and write messages on an Internet "bulletin board". Most of these are used with a web browser. Usenet Newsgroups can be used with a newsreader program or a web browser.

Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Support Board

Moderated.

Tinnitus Support Messages Board

Moderated.

Usenet newsgroup: alt.support.tinnitus

Usenet newsgroups are the original/largest message boards. You use them with a newsreader program, activated by the link above -- or you can read them with your web browser (see the "archives" entries below.) There is also a German newsgroup.

WARNING: alt.support.tinnitus is an uncensored, unmoderated newsgroup. There is help there, and by far the largest audience, but you have to wade through some appalling nastiness to find it, at a level unusual even for newgroups and worse than other message boards. If some saint would like to start a moderated tinnitus newsgroup and serve as impartial moderator, new tinnitus sufferers will be in their debt.

Newsgroup archives, Web

Google web archive of Usenet newsgroups, which they call "discussion forums". Search on "tinnitus".

Advanced Newsgroup search, Web

Google power search: can search the "forum" of alt.support.tinnitus only, by dates or other criteria

Short list of tinnitus pages

American Tinnitus Association

Books,tapes, brochures. Referral and support group list with membership

Tinnitus FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions and pointers to more information

Tinnitus Retraining Therapy

Two discussions of one of the promising treatment methods, from its original developers

Their websites are also listed in the "Tinnitus Info" section of these pages.

Oregon Tinnitus Data Archive

Statistics on people with tinnitus

The "Tinnitus Info" page contains more tinnitus references.

Disclaimer: I have tinnitus; I don't treat it. I have no medical background. Information contained or linked on these pages proved helpful and/or interesting to me personally; nothing more is intended or implied. As with any mass media, you will find lots of true and false tinnitus information on the Internet; please use with care.

Spammers, particularly health-product spammers, can be especially harmful to a group like ours. Check an anti-spam page for information about protecting yourself from news & email spamming.

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