Losing silence: A news article highlighting the intensity of tinnitus

Did you spot the tinnitus story in the Saturday Paper? Headlined “Losing silence” and written beautifully by Deaf poet Fiona Murphy, the article featured the work of Myriam Westcott (member of Tinnitus Australia’s Advisory Group) and highlighted the experiences of Grace Mezak. In the piece, Grace spoke about how her experience of tinnitus has changed during the pandemic, becoming more intense and intrusive as she’s been at home and alone more. Dr Jessica Vitkovic, acting-CEO of Soundfair, was also quoted as she spoke about the increased demand for Tinnitus Australia’s helpline during lockdown:

We’re seeing that people are wanting to know more about why their symptoms have increased during the pandemic. When they are on the phone with you, they just want to know that somebody gets it. You can almost hear the relief – “it happens, you’re not going crazy.” And “there is something that you can do” is a relief in itself.

Learn more about Grace’s tinnitus experience: