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SUMMER READING 2020
Do you suffer from tinnitus, or ringing in your ears? Perhaps this book is something you might be interested in. Check out the book review and YouTube video on audiologist Dr. Sarah Caldwell’s perspective on this read.
Happy Reading!
Book Review: Rewiring Tinnitus – How I Finally Found Relief from the Ringing in My Ears by Glenn Schweitzer
A family member recently mentioned this book to me as they were curious if I found its recommendations to be accurate. I interpreted it as both a memoir of the author, Glenn Schweitzer, and his personal experience with managing tinnitus, as well as a kind of “self-help” guide to his success with tinnitus management strategies. Unfortunately, while there were many aspects of this book that I agreed with and enjoyed, overall, I wanted to like the book more than I actually did.
Beginning with the aspects of the book that I did enjoy, I was very pleased that the author began with a large disclaimer, as he is not a clinical or medical professional. He also initially recognized that there is not one cause or “cure all” for tinnitus patients. Schweitzer presented the book as a guide for better living and healthy habituation to one’s tinnitus by changing one’s emotional response through meditation – recognizing, again, that there is no cure for tinnitus. I also enjoyed that it was a largely positive personal account of his tinnitus experience, as tinnitus is often accounted negatively or hopelessly. Finally, Schweitzer presented many accurate and easy to understand guides for both healthy living and hearing conservation.
On the other hand, I had a difficult time reading his colloquial writing style. More importantly, specifically in the second section, there were many inaccuracies presented about other forms of tinnitus management, such as the fact that Tinnitus Retraining Therapy and ear-level maskers will not be effective treatments for patients with hearing loss. As a result, I found some areas contradictory (as well as inaccurate) after he initially recognized that different management strategies work for different individuals, but then seemed to discount them as expensive or ineffective in order to advertise for his own website and “Brainwave Entrainment” (although he is not medical professional). While the author provided a disclaimer at the beginning of the book, I do not think that he reinforced the NECESSITY to consult a professional when seemingly providing his own “medical” advice.
Overall, I think that this was a positive personal account of tinnitus management that many individuals with tinnitus will effectively relate to. Moreover, I did enjoy Part 1 and Part 3 of this book. On the other hand, I found Part 2 to be somewhat contradictory and inaccurate. I think that if you are interested in tinnitus management through meditation, you should read this book, but be sure to CONSULT A PROFESSIONAL before taking any information presented here as fact.
