ABOUt the film

Imagine hearing a constant sound in your head, 24/7, that no one else can hear. A high-pitched whistle, a hum, static, or a mix of sounds that never stops. This is tinnitus, and it affects an estimated 1 in 7 adults worldwide.

Tinnitus is widely misunderstood, even within parts of the medical profession. Too many people are told there's nothing wrong, or to just "learn to live with it." The reality is that chronic tinnitus can be life-altering, affecting sleep, concentration, mental health, and relationships.

Surviving Tinnitus is the world's first feature-length documentary about the condition. The film brings together real stories from people living with tinnitus alongside specialists working at the forefront of understanding and treating it. It covers what tinnitus is, why it develops, how to manage it, and where research is heading.

This film was made to do three things: raise awareness, help people who are suffering, and provide a single, honest resource that brings everything together in one place.

Young woman with glasses reading a book at a cafe or restaurant.
Young woman with glasses reading a book at a cafe or restaurant.

"Being told no cure as a teenager... it changed everything" - Sarah

A close-up of a man with light brown, slightly messy hair and a slight beard, looking off into the distance with a thoughtful expression, outdoors with a blurred green background.
A close-up of a man with light brown, slightly messy hair and a slight beard, looking off into the distance with a thoughtful expression, outdoors with a blurred green background.

"I wondered whether this was going to ruin my life" - James

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS

A smiling man with a beard and mustache, wearing an orange shirt, stands in front of a wall with a pattern of black hexagons on a white background, with audio mixing equipment in the background.

Simon bowker Heighes

Simon spent years behind the decks as a DJ until tinnitus and hyperacusis forced him to step back from doing what he loved. After years of setbacks, and what he describes as grieving his old life, he's come out the other side and returned to DJing again.

A young woman with long red hair and colorful glasses looking out a window with white brick framing.

Sarah richardson

Sarah was just 15 when she woke up one morning to a ringing in her ears that never went away. She faced exams, social isolation, and being told "there's no cure" - all as a teenager. Now, over a decade on, she's living proof that moving on with tinnitus is possible.

A woman with dark hair pulled back, wearing a navy blue polka dot blouse, sitting on a blue tufted sofa in a bright living room, smiling at the camera. There are colorful pillows on the sofa and a plant in the background near a window.

louise hart

Louise is an audiologist and tinnitus therapist with over 30 years experience across the NHS and private practice. With a background in psychology and a specialism in cognitive behavioural techniques, she brings a unique perspective and also lives with tinnitus.

A woman with light brown hair, wearing a green shirt and gold jewelry, smiling while sitting on a red leather chair in a room with photographs on a wall in the background.
A woman with light brown hair, wearing a green shirt and gold jewelry, smiling while sitting on a red leather chair in a room with photographs on a wall in the background.

Deborah jefferis

Deborah picked up tinnitus from a workplace ear infection over 20 years ago. It turned her world upside down — sleepless nights, isolation, and years of searching for anything that might help.

A man with brown hair and a beard wearing a patterned shirt with outdoor and camping logos, sitting in front of a colorful, geometric background.
A man with brown hair and a beard wearing a patterned shirt with outdoor and camping logos, sitting in front of a colorful, geometric background.

james alexander

James is a professional musician whose livelihood depends on the one thing tinnitus disrupts most - sound. Still in the early stages of his journey, he's finding ways to protect his hearing and keep performing without giving up the music he loves.

A woman with curly black hair smiling indoors with a kitchen background.
A woman with curly black hair smiling indoors with a kitchen background.

gladys sanda

Gladys has worked in audiology for over a decade, specialising in tinnitus and hyperacusis. As someone who also suffers from tinnitus she understands what it feels like to be trapped by the sound. She is also author of the book Beyond the Noise: A Practical Guide to Tinnitus Relief.

A smiling middle-aged man with gray hair and blue eyes, wearing a blue button-up shirt, standing in front of wooden shelves filled with decorative items and trophies.
A smiling middle-aged man with gray hair and blue eyes, wearing a blue button-up shirt, standing in front of wooden shelves filled with decorative items and trophies.

chris zaremba

Chris was halfway through a relaxing holiday when tinnitus showed up uninvited and never left. The early years hit hard, sleepless nights, withdrawal from the things he loved, and moments where he was on his knees begging for it to stop. Over eight years on, he's learned to live alongside it.

Close-up of a young man with short brown hair and blue eyes, wearing a white collared shirt, standing outdoors near a stone bridge and green trees.
Close-up of a young man with short brown hair and blue eyes, wearing a white collared shirt, standing outdoors near a stone bridge and green trees.

will sedley

Will is a consultant neurologist and tinnitus researcher at Newcastle University. He's been studying the brain mechanisms behind tinnitus since 2008, with a focus on how the brain's automatic predictions may trigger or suppress it.

A man with short dark hair and a beard, wearing a light-colored, striped button-up shirt, looking down at a laptop in a room with dark walls and a patterned curtain on the left side.
A man with short dark hair and a beard, wearing a light-colored, striped button-up shirt, looking down at a laptop in a room with dark walls and a patterned curtain on the left side.

james jackson

James is a psychologist who has lived with tinnitus his entire life - he just didn't know it wasn't normal until he was 18. That discovery, alongside sudden hearing loss, led him to make tinnitus the focus of his PhD and career. He now researches the psychological impact of the condition and specialises in interventions like CBT and mindfulness.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER

A middle-aged man with glasses, short beard, dressed in a dark shirt, sitting against a plain dark background.
A middle-aged man with glasses, short beard, dressed in a dark shirt, sitting against a plain dark background.

I've lived with tinnitus since 2009. When it arrived, it turned my life upside down. I became a prisoner in my own home. I couldn't work. I thought my life was over.

I did what millions of other tinnitus sufferers do - I went looking for answers. I sat in doctors and specialists waiting rooms, I searched online at 3am, and I kept hearing or reading the same thing over and over: there's no cure. That's a brutal thing to hear when your head never stops ringing.

I'm in a different place with my tinnitus now. It took a while - but I found my way through. My tinnitus is still here, but it no longer runs my life.

That journey is why I made this film. Because the path from crisis to calm shouldn't be something you have to figure out alone, and the medical system still offers far too little hope. I wanted to put something into the world that does.

Surviving Tinnitus brings together people who've been through it and specialists who understand it - not to promise a cure, but to show that a good life with tinnitus is possible for most, and to make sure no one starting this journey feels as lost and alone as I did.

Keith Wright - Filmmaker