UK woman, Nancy Cogg, had never struggled with any health issues in her life until suddenly, she was plagued by an incredibly rare hearing disorder that seemed to occur out of nowhere. Her main symptom nearly annoyed her to death until she figured out how to deal with it. Find out how this condition, which affects less than 1% of people, changed her life...
Is That Just Background Music?
Nancy Cogg used to work as a receptionist for a high-profile UK law firm. She worked in the front lobby, tracking appointments and answering phones. Like most office lobbies, there was always some subtle background music playing over the speakers. Usually, Nancy could drown it out to the point where she didn't even notice the noise. But one day, something changed...
A Constant Noise
One night after work, Nancy went home with a terrible headache. As she drove in silence, she realized she was still hearing the music from the speakers at work. Perplexed, she couldn't figure out where the noise was coming from. No matter how much she focused, she couldn't get the music to stop...
First of Many Sleepless Nights
That night, Nancy couldn't sleep at all. She tossed and turned, annoyed by the sound of elevator music that wouldn't leave her head. She figured the song would work its way out of her brain by morning, so she tried not to worry. After all, it wouldn't be that big of a deal if she was a little tired at work the next day...
Distracted All Day
The next day, Nancy sat at her desk frustrated all day. She couldn't stop hearing the music. She'd even turned the overhead speakers off so the only noises were of people walking through the lobby. She was agitated whenever someone came up to her to schedule an appointment, and she was distracted during phone calls. The monotonous music seemed to be getting louder in her head...
Her Boss Intervened
After a week, the noise in her head still hadn't subsided. Eventually, her boss approached her because she noticed Nancy's visible distress. At first, she had a hard time believing what Nancy was saying. How could that be possible, music constantly playing in her head? Nancy tried to explain, but her boss just seemed to get more concerned and skeptical...
A Doctor's Visit
Her boss suggested Nancy take some time off to see a doctor and figure out what was going on. The music was affecting her performance at work, and the last thing Nancy wanted was to lose her job. She agreed to make a doctor's appointment for the end of the week, and her boss seemed relieved. She was still finding Nancy's problem hard to believe, but the poor woman seemed extremely distressed...
An Unusual Diagnosis
Nancy made an appointment with an Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist, and the diagnosis wasn't exactly what she'd anticipated. The doctor told her that her symptoms aligned with a condition called tinnitus, which causes ringing or buzzing noises in the inner ear. However, there was more to it than that, Nancy was sure of it...
A Rare Condition
Tinnitus affects only around 15-20% of the population and typically isn't a condition all on its own. Instead, it's an underlying symptom of a potential circulatory issue. The doctor told her that she'd need various other tests in order to figure out what exactly was wrong. But Nancy hadn't even begun to explain the real reason why she was there...
"Musical Hallucinations"
Once Nancy explained the constant music in her head, the doctor took a second look at her scans. She diagnosed Nancy with a rare condition called "Musical Hallucinations." Nancy was shocked - she had no idea there was actually a term for what was happening to her...
A One In a Million Diagnosis
The doctor explained that musical hallucinations occur to only 1-2% of people who suffer from tinnitus. The constant noise in her head wasn't normal, but at least there was an explanation. However, there was more to the diagnosis that was extremely disheartening...
No Known Cure
Unfortunately, there is no known cure for musical hallucinations. The news made Nancy's heart sink. She felt like she'd never be able to focus again. She was still having a horrible time sleeping, her work was suffering, and the constant elevator music was driving her crazy. Surely there was something they could do for her?
Desperate For a Cure
She explained to the doctor exactly what was happening. She kept hearing "short fragments of simple melodies" that "are often mistaken for real music until it becomes clear that none is being played." It was unbearable. There was no way she could keep living her normal life like this after this condition had seemingly come from out of nowhere...
A Couple Options
Tinnitus has a few known treatment options, but they only reduce or ease symptoms, they do not fully cure the issue. The doctor recommended something called "sound therapy," which immediately piqued Nancy's interest. She went home and did some intense research about her options...
Sound Therapy
Sound therapy, though it may seem counter-intuitive, uses soothing sounds and music to heal a person and help with their focus and concentration. Some of the practices include playing instruments, meditating, and focusing on rhythm and breathing. Upon further research, Nancy realized this might be a way to fix her problem...
She Was Initially Skeptical
The idea of listening to music to further drown out the music in her head seemed ridiculous to Nancy, but she was willing to try anything at this point. She'd read horror stories that people who suffer from musical hallucinations never recover, and they just deal with the constant noise for years. It was very possible Nancy would suffer from this forever...
A New Lifestyle
After a couple of months of working with a sound therapist, Nancy had been able to adjust to hearing noises in her ears. Though it wasn't an easy transition, she'd learned strategies to manage the sounds despite the distractions they sometimes caused. She'd learned focusing techniques that allowed her to train her attention elsewhere, and sometimes, just like at work, she was able to completely tune out the music. But it was a tactic she'd have to use for years to come...
Other Conditions Can Cause Auditory Hallucinations
Disorders such as schizophrenia can cause auditory hallucinations as well, though people who claim to hear voices due to this disorder tend to have a much more difficult life than Nancy's story. One woman described her life-altering diagnosis with schizophrenia as confusing and "seemingly out of nowhere." Lauren had no idea what was happening to her, and her journey to cope with her new life was difficult...
A Bright College Student
Lauren was 23 years old and finishing her final semester of college. She was at the top of her class, incredibly focused, and popular. She was always kind and approachable and worked off-campus at a restaurant. Everyone who knew her loved her, and she loved being around people and staying busy. One week, that seemed to all change out of nowhere...
Uncharacteristic Behavior
One day, just as she was pulling into the school parking lot, another car snuck in and stole the spot Lauren was going for. Instantly infuriated, she got out of her car and banged on the other driver's window with her fist. She wasn't a violent person, but she felt so angry that she couldn't stop herself. The other woman explained she hadn't seen Lauren and she was late for a meeting, but Lauren wouldn't have it. The two got into a physical altercation, and Lauren was humiliated and confused after. That wasn't like her...
She Visited a Therapist
When the bursts of anger didn't fade, she visited a therapist. She explained the fits seemed to come out of nowhere, and she also felt paranoid and exhausted for days on end. What was happening to her? The doctor suggested maybe the pressures from school were too much, or the stress of her upcoming graduation and job search were possibly overwhelming. She was diagnosed with high-functioning depression, but little did Lauren know, the worst symptoms were still to come...
She Began Hearing Voices
One night, while Lauren was alone in her apartment, she heard what she thought was the voice of her next-door neighbor. She didn't think anything of it at first, but then the voice persisted, and it sounded uncomfortably close. She couldn't make out words, just nondescript whispers. She was on-edge for the rest of the night and barely slept at all...
The Voices Weren't Her Neighbor
The next morning, Lauren felt relatively at ease. She hadn't slept, but she felt almost normal. When she got up and started getting ready for the day, however, the voices persisted again, and this time she was sure it wasn't her neighbor. She focused and realized the voices were in her head. She was terrified. She had a much more serious problem on her hands than she thought, and she couldn't make it stop...
She Was Hospitalized Right Away
When Lauren went back to her therapist and explained the voices, she was immediately sent to a psychiatric hospital for an evaluation. She was told this wasn't normal behavior, which scared her. What happened to the bright young girl who excelled in school? She'd been fine a week ago. What was happening? The psychiatrist's diagnosis wasn't what she was expecting to hear at all...
A Shocking Diagnosis
The psychiatrist explained that Lauren's symptoms aligned with schizophrenia. The paranoia, exhaustion, fits of anger, and voices were all textbook examples of things that a person with schizophrenia deals with. Lauren was aghast. She had no idea what this meant going forward, or how she'd seemingly developed it over the course of one short week. The doctor could tell she was incredibly upset and tried to explain the next steps...
A Prolonged Hospital Stay
Following the diagnosis, the psychiatrist recommended an in-patient program to help get her set up on medication and therapy. Lauren realized she'd have to put off school and work in order to get her life back on track and deal with this new "normal." She was too embarrassed and upset to confide in anyone besides her parents. She didn't want to be judged for this, and she knew the stigma behind severe mental illnesses...
Learning To Cope
Lauren spent three months in in-patient therapy working with doctors on how to monitor her symptoms. She deferred school for a year, which was difficult. She still hadn't fully explained to her friends what was going on because she was prone to outbursts whenever she felt distressed. She didn't want to put them through that. Her medication routine was very difficult to adjust to, and she had awful side effects...
The Symptoms Became Physical
After a few months, Lauren realized that she was starting to have noticeably visible side effects from both the disorder and the medication. She had tremors in her arms and hands, and when she spoke, it took her a little longer to process her words. She was becoming depressed trying to deal with all of these changes. She needed to find an outlet to help her cope...
A New Opportunity
When her psychiatrist felt it was time for her to leave in-patient therapy, Lauren felt like she needed a new opportunity to excite her again. She'd connected with other patients in the hospital, and she'd been moved by their stories. Though she was only at the beginning of hers, she wanted to find a way to make a difference with other young people dealing with the same mental illness...
On The Job Search
When Lauren told her doctor about her new goal, she was pointed in the direction of a schizophrenia outreach program. Though she still had to finish her undergraduate degree, she also wanted to add a certificate in social work so she could work towards becoming a mental health advocate. She finally felt like she was in a good place for the first time in several months. She was ready to tell people her own story...
Helping Others Succeed
With her symptoms under control, Lauren went on to form a new support group. She was in charge of helping other young people with schizophrenia set and execute goals that they'd previously thought were unattainable. She wanted others to have the same opportunities that she'd been given. She had a very understanding family, teachers who were willing to work around her new schedule and lifestyle, and she wanted others to be treated the same way. She wanted to put a stop to the negative stigma...
A New Outlook On Life
Since launching her support group, Lauren felt confident enough to go back to school. She felt like she'd completely changed and had a much more positive outlook on her life and diagnosis, and she was determined to finish her degree with even more dedication than she'd started it with...
Moving Forward
Lauren felt confident in dealing with her symptoms after months of treatment and working with others. She'd learned how to handle her paranoia and anger, and the voices she'd initially heard didn't bother her anymore thanks to treatment and therapy. She felt like she was finally getting back to normal. She no longer felt like she was suffering from something bigger than herself.