I suffered from hyperacusis for 6 years, during which time I consulted countless “specialists” and tried just as many “therapies”. The least worst were ineffective, and the worst made my hyperacusis worse.
As a result, I ended up living cloistered in my own home, with plugs permanently screwed into my ears and a construction helmet lending a hand when my taste for adventure took me out of the bedroom. Even the faintest volume from a laptop or TV was unbearable. For 4 years, I couldn’t watch a film without subtitles or listen to music. Every discussion exhausted my ears after a few minutes.
Medical appointments were almost impossible, as it took me weeks to recover from even the slightest car journey. I had lost all hope of improvement and was convinced that I would never be able to resume a normal life.
It took a meeting with Madame Chettrit-Bonneyrat for this hope to be revived, and even transformed into the hope of a total cure (something I had never considered possible since the onset of my hyperacusis).
Right from the first therapy session, I was able to free myself from the headphones. It took a little longer to get out of the earplugs, but I did it, and that’s the most important thing!
And that, in my opinion, is the great strength of Mrs. and Mr. Chettrit-Bonneyrat: their support at every stage of the therapy, and their persuasion that recovery is attainable.
They know their subject inside out, and are always ready to listen to calm any fears or apprehensions you may have. For example, on the morning of my first session, I was terrified at the thought of putting headphones on my ears (and without wearing earplugs) and listening to music after so many years without having done so. They were able to reassure me and the session went perfectly, with no pain at all !
Mind you, I’m by no means saying that therapy is easy. I experienced ups and downs throughout the healing process.
It took me 10 sessions of therapy before I was completely cured, and not without doubt, but the dialogue with Madame Chettrit-Bonneyrat always gave me the strength to carry on and believe.
So yes, there will be difficult moments, moments of doubt, and your recovery will require great effort. But I can promise you that, if you go through with it, you’ll come out of it more alive than ever.