Tinnitus can be severely disabling and lead to suicidal ideation in some individuals.

“So tinnitus, it's a phantom sound. It's produced by the brain, typically in response to a reduced input to the brain. So the brain makes up the sound that it's normally not detecting. ... But there are people who can't handle it. They are really severely disabled by it, and some are suicidal, which is a huge spectrum. And why is that? So clearly, these circuits in the brain are differently connected for different people. And in some, that emotional component is really amplified.”