Recent content by MindOverMatter

I am putting myself out here again, and of course people are fully entitled to have different opinions, and many will. But in my view, and from my personal experience, there is no danger in letting it react. In fact, at some point you need to expose yourself to things like wind and rain simply...

What do you mean by “quiet environment”? Do you mean sitting in complete silence? I don’t agree with that. I’ve had reactive tinnitus for about six years now, and I am in a much better place. I’ve had counseling on and off since 2020, more than 25 sessions in total, though very rarely now. My...

Sure. This sounds a lot like how I was for a long time. I can still have bad periods where this may show up in some form, even six years down the road, but most of the time I’m good. Even in those periods, when I get those “Morse code” sounds or whatever you may call them on top of other...

There is a distinct difference between chronic and permanent. “Chronic” refers to a condition with long-lasting duration, while “permanent” implies it will last forever or cannot be reversed. Who used the term permanent? As I told you earlier, there are numerous success stories, both here and...

Exactly my point, many of us adapt and habituate. That is the nature of neuroplasticity, creating new neural pathways. I hope you get silence, as you wish for. Do not get me wrong. But being a perfectionist with tinnitus is not necessarily a good thing. It may lead to disappointments and make...

Sorry to hear you are having a difficult day with it. Healing is not linear, and there will always be harder days along the way. That is normal and human. After more than 20 years with tinnitus, I have been through countless ups and downs. I am not sure how much of my writing you have come...

I understand you, but I believe you might be doing yourself a big favor that could actually interfere with healing in the long run. Acceptance is the first step in recovery. Something like this was bound to happen at some point anyway. These things are part of living a normal life in the...

Unfortunately, this is the nature of tinnitus, and yes, I have experienced many such accidents. Usually, a spike after an incident like this can last anywhere from a few days to two or three weeks. You have to remind yourself that these things happen and are often unavoidable. Stopping life is...

Who said your ears were done? If the tinnitus is only just noticeable, you really shouldn’t be worrying about it in my opinion. That shows how differently we are set up as individuals. To me, this sounds like a level of tinnitus that shouldn’t be bothersome where you are now, but for you it...

Great news! Fading through habituation is real. If you are at a level of 1–2 out of 10 by now, that is very mild tinnitus, and it should become non-bothersome soon as it fades into the background. The way you described it earlier seemed quite a bit more intrusive. Mild tinnitus usually makes...

Stay off those boards, or wherever you’re reading those stories, whether it’s here or somewhere else. You said it yourself: your mood doesn’t improve when you read them. I’d say it actually has the opposite effect. Make sure you’re getting enough auditory input during the day and not staying in...

Given your current mental state, judging from what you write, that is definitely the correct decision for now. My advice would be to seek professional help sooner rather than later. Are there any counselors in your area who specialize in tinnitus, hyperacusis, CBT, or similar approaches?

My guess is that this is temporary, as we are talking about a high dose for one day rather than over time. Time will tell. Give it another two to six weeks, and try not to think the worst. I believe there is a good chance it will calm down to baseline again.

100%. I totally agree with most of what you write here, but I am confused about what you mean by healing. Most people who develop bothersome tinnitus, and go beyond the six-month mark or more, usually will not become completely tinnitus free. The majority will still have tinnitus, and they will...