Resources

Self Help Group Information

Find a Self-Help Group
Volunteer to Start a Self-Help Group
Becoming A Help Network Volunteer

Find a Self-Help Group

The American Tinnitus Association's Support Program consists of dedicated Self-Help Groups facilitators and Help Network Volunteers across the country. These volunteers provide compassion, support, experience, and perspective, as well as valuable resources for treating your tinnitus.

While Self-Help Groups are not yet available in all states, please note that some volunteers may choose not to be listed on our web site, and many of the Help Network Volunteers now respond to e-mail, and you are welcome to contact Help Network volunteers regardless of location. As lines of communication are opened, savvy and meaningful support is closer than ever before, no matter where you live!

Please click on the states below to find Support Resources near you. If you are interested in starting a Self-Help Group or becoming a Help Network Volunteer, please contact the American Tinnitus Association Support Department at (800) 634-8978 or (503) 248-9985, x 219.

Select a State ------- Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington DC West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Volunteer to Start a Self-Help Group

Starting a Tinnitus Self-Help Group
The First Meeting
Suggested Meeting Topics for Self-Help Groups
Finding Guest Speakers
Suggestions for a Successful Meeting
Promoting Your Group
Different Jobs for Self-Help Group Volunteers
Being an Active Listener

Becoming A Help Network Volunteer

The American Tinnitus Association Support program has two facets: formal self-help groups and individual help network volunteers. Help Network Volunteers communicate one-on-one with people in need of support on an as-needed basis. ATA maintains a list of Help Network Volunteers, sharing names and contact information with callers who are distressed about their tinnitus and needing to reach out to someone else with the condition.

Help Network Volunteers are all about providing support. It's a powerful experience for people to feel like someone understands what they're going through. Help Network Volunteers aren't physicians or audiologists—they're regular people who understand what it means to have tinnitus.

If you are interested in becoming a Help Network Volunteers, consider the following and contact the ATA Support Program for more information or an application.

Decide which methods of communication you want to answer.
Help Network Volunteers communicate via telephone, letters, or email—or a combination of the three. Decide which method is most convenient to you, and let ATA staff know your preference.

Determine which times are best for you.
Many Help Network Volunteers put instructions for the best time to call on their answering machines. That way, callers know when to call back and the volunteers don't face expensive long distance charges. Please do not feel obligated to answer calls during times inconvenient to you.

Find out the names of local healthcare providers.
Contact the ATA for a listing of healthcare providers in your area, and keep notes on your experiences with local audiologists, ENTs, and other professionals. Understand that other people may have different medical needs than you, but that your experiences with healthcare providers can be very insightful.

Have tinnitus resources handy.
Keep a binder of Tinnitus Today issues by the phone or computer for easy reference. Callers may have questions on specific treatments, like tinnitus retraining therapy or masking, or on new research studies funded by the ATA. Tinnitus Today can help answer these questions. You may also want to have a listing of alternative medicine practitioners, nutritionists, local hearing instrument and masking supply companies, and a local suicide hotline. While suicidal callers are rare, it is best to be prepared.

Specialize in a specific tinnitus-related topic.
There are so many topics related to tinnitus, and not everyone can be an expert in all of them. Pick out a few that are very important to you, and learn everything you can about them.

Remember that good advice and coping strategies can't substitute for a medical and audiological evaluation.

While the information and advice you provide can be very helpful, please encourage all contacts to seek out medical assistance. Often, tinnitus is a symptom of a physiological cause that should and can be treated. All patients should have a medical and audiological evaluation, both of which can help determine the types and course of treatment and reduce stress.

Help out with local Self-Help Groups.
Attend your local Self-Help Group meetings to hear the latest on research, treatment options, and coping strategies and to meet and learn from others with tinnitus. This will help hone your "bedside manner" for Help Network contacts as well as expand your knowledge of tinnitus-related topics.

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For more information please contact: Lisa Freeman, Manager of Member Services
(800) 634-8978 x 219 or lisa@ata.org