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Hi Brian, I'm sorry to hear that you're suffering so much. I've been exactly there and I know what it's like. The truth is that one day you will look back on this time and you won't be able to wrap your head around how you got so low because of tinnitus. You're in survival mode right now and...

Hi there! Sorry for the slow reply! I don't come here anymore, since I'm doing so much better, but I try to check this post from time to time. If you can sleep okay without masking, then I say stick with what you're doing. The reason I say not masking was a bad decision for me is I think it...

Ok, this sounds similar to mine. I didn't have pain either, just a load of weird noises. I'm not even sure what the correct word for it is. It came on in about month 5 I think, and only lasted a couple of months. It kind of came and went in that time. The craziest thing was how ordinary...

@IntotheBlue03, I forgot to mention but mine was reactive for a while too and I had mild hyperacusis. It was terrifying but it passed. It was a real mental battle, and as @Mags said, exposing myself to the sounds in small amounts. Happy to write more about that here if it would help. X

You are an inspiration and you've helped so many people. Hope you are doing ok. X I remember you saying it took three years. That's what gave me hope when I was one year and two years in and felt like I was making no progress.

@Mags, yes, I know what you mean about looking forward to bed and snuggling! You're doing all the right things though, with the living room and the water fountain etc. I never thought I could feel relaxed again after tinnitus, but it really did happen eventually. I found that the bath was a good...

Hi Mags, it sounds like you're doing really well for just over a year in, so well done you! I promise you it does just get easier and easier year on year, and you're off to a great start. Just be patient with yourself. Re: sleep, I found it really important to make sure I was properly tired...

Best of luck to you. I'm sure you can do it again. X

You've got this. I promise you, whatever bad feelings you are feeling today, they are not forever. This is just a shit moment in time. X

Hi everyone, I've been putting this off because I wanted to wait until I was fully habituated, whatever that means, before posting. Also because this forum represents some really desperate times for me, that I wanted to leave behind me. The third reason is that tinnitus is such a non-issue for...

Thanks so much for this! I'm at around 18 months and I have had days where it's almost like it's not there. And it's been pretty bad at times (can hear it over the car engine on the freeway with music playing, on bad days). Like you I think I tune into it and that makes it loud. If I'm fully...

1. Saying "it probably won't go away" is a knife to the heart of your patient and can send them into a panic that makes it louder and more permanent. The best thing to say to a new sufferer is that it can recede into the background if you take serious action to take your mind off it RIGHT NOW...

Hi Davey, Listen to me, you're going to be just fine, I promise. It's normal for it to seem to get worse at the beginning. This is because your brain is seeing tinnitus as a terrible threat that has just upended your life. You are listening out for it (either deliberately or subconsciously) and...

Hi all, Just wanted to check in and give you all some hugs. I've been having some good times and some not-so-good times. I'm trying to do as Lane suggests above and just accept that some days will be worse than others, as they always are in life, and remember that there is always a better day...

Thanks @ajc. My gut is telling me the same as what you're saying, but I was wary of passing up on a good thing out of sheer grumpiness! I like his YouTube channel overall (some of it is a bit abrasive), and as I said I'm more than happy to give mindfulness and meditation a go (I do think it's...

I'm not asking for thoughts on mindfulness, meditation, or his story. I believe those things are legit (although they may not work for everyone). I'm asking if anyone has experience with the "tinnitus coaching" that he offers, or any thoughts on whether he is a good guy, genuinely trying to...

Really unhelpful. Please try to bear in mind that people are suffering here, as I'm sure you are too. To tell people who have achieved some sort of peace that their positive experience is not real is really shitty. To tell people who are working hard toward that peace that the end result is some...

This is really helpful – thanks!!

@Gopher93 Thanks for your story! I'm at the 16 or 19 month mark depending on how I count it. I don't have panic issues any more really, but I deal with varying levels of anxiety and low mood on and off. I find it hard to imagine that in 6 months or so I could achieve habituation. So I'm just...

Thanks for this. You're absolutely right that we have to celebrate, and 'bank' the victories. Over time - I hope - all the little victories add up until the positive narrative becomes the dominant one.

You will. I remember this exact feeling – for a few months there I barely recognised myself, and I didn't know how to connect to my old life any more. I remember as I started to slowly get back to my life I went to an exercise class that I used to really enjoy, and I could hardly keep from...

Just stumbled across this old thread, and, whilst I really don't want to get into a debate that might get me riled up and set my progress back, I do want to say it is cathartic to see this critique of JCH. I'm not going to get onto whether or not he is well-intentioned - I honestly don't know...

Hi Shera! Basically I decided that saying "I hear... I feel..." was never going to work until I achieved Step 1: Stop thinking about or listening for your tinnitus. Terry is very clear that Step 1 is the most important and the hardest, but I think a lot of us got hung up on the other steps...

I was saying exactly this a few months ago. Today I am probably more stressed about my weight, my lack of boyfriend, and my work, than about tinnitus. There will always be something to stress about! But knowing that tinnitus is no longer my number one problem feels like a victory. You will get...

This comment gave me a proper laugh. Thanks! :) And thanks OP for the positive post. I'm on a similar timeline to you. Not ready to write my success story yet - I think I take longer to adapt to things than some people do - but I do think I'm on my way. You're completely right about distraction...

You are very wise. This really helps. Thanks again Michael. Lizzy xxx

Oh I've only just seen this! Your reply made me tear up a little bit. Thank you. I have had my ups and downs with this forum but honestly everyone here is so great to build each other up when people are struggling and doubting themselves. It's really nice to be able to feel like I'm able to help...

Couldn't agree with this more. Even if it doesn't get you to habituation straight away, CBT can really really help with all the difficult emotions that can come with tinnitus. I was cynical and impatient at first, but over a few months of sessions it 100% got me my life back.

@Tara Lyons Re anxiety: There are differing points of view but in my opinion it is actually key. If I'm feeling anxious I notice my tinnitus a lot more. I think they are inextricably linked. I have seen tinnitus referred to as a "disorder of attention" - the more you pay anxious attention to...

I know it sounds crazy when people say "relax", "don't get stressed", when you are dealing with this crazy noise. I find that it's better to relax by doing an activity, rather than, say, trying to lie in bed and relax. Also, try not to blame tinnitus for all your stress. Are you stressed at...

Thanks so much for your reply, and your encouragement as always, Michael. Lizzy xxx

@Tara Lyons I consider myself to be doing pretty well these days but I still don't really read. Trying to do it is just too frustrating and upsetting. I do other things and I'll work up to reading when I'm ready. :) I love aot's advice here. But I just wanted to say that if it's too hard to...

Yeah that is totally normal. There are so many different ways that people perceive tinnitus. Some people also experience it as more of an almost physical, "brain buzz" sensation rather than (or in addition to) a noise. I think eating healthily can really help. It makes you feel better in...

@Tara Lyons Lots of us have been where you are so please trust us, take a deep breath and get yourself some help right now. Have you seen your doctor? Are you taking any medications for depression or panic or sleep? Please talk to a professional about how you are feeling and let them help...

Hang in there Tara, you're still very new. I hit my lowest point around month 5. Things started to feel better around month 8. I'm now in month 16 or thereabouts and while tinnitus still annoys me my life is basically back to normal and I can enjoy myself again. The "whys" and "whatifs" are...

Wonderful story! As someone else said, it's particularly encouraging when people come back after struggling for a number of years. I suspect there are more stories like this out there but we don't hear them because after that amount of time people have moved on and don't think about this forum...

5 months is nothing in tinnitus-land. You will get there. Just try to get through each day. Just cope. One day you will stop coping and start living again, I promise, but for now don't beat yourself up. It's still really new to you, you have loads of time. Xxx

Wonderful wonderful video. And another one that took around 3 years to start to habituate – very encouraging for those of us who are starting to get discouraged!

Such a beautiful post. Thank you so so much. I am in a better place than I was a year ago and I've actually stayed away from this forum for two whole months because I was doing so well. Having a massive wobble now (I'm in the UK and the news here is v depressing - lockdown for umpteen more weeks...

Hi Henry, Thanks so much for this and sorry for the slow reply. I unexpectedly started to feel a lot better a couple of days after I wrote that, so I am going to stay away from here for a while and see if that helps. I've decided to focus all of my efforts on step one of the method (don't...

Btw, I Who Love Music (of the Back to Silence method) had his tinnitus for 40 years before he found a method that enabled him to habituate. I also saw a lady on another forum who had success with the same method after 16 years of suffering. I take these stories as evidence that we have no right...

I feel for you and everyone who is suffering. I am also suffering. But this is literally a "Success Stories" sub-forum. Positivity is really important for a lot of people with tinnitus, and it's quite damaging for people who come on here looking specifically for success stories to see negative...

I am really struggling again at the moment. Mine just seems to get worse and worse, and I don't know what I'm doing to cause it. I was in a very dark place last summer and I worry that I'll go back there if it worsens much more. Anyway, enough moaning. Thank you everyone for the "not thinking"...

Thanks for these. I'll add a few habituation stories: 1) My acupuncturist has tinnitus so loud she can hear it clearly in a noisy bar. She says she barely remembers she has it (she usually remembers about it once a fortnight when I visit her). Says it "can be a bit annoying" but "really...

Mikki I agree with you about Step 1. I am still trying but it's ups and downs because I can't really get anywhere with the other steps until I sort out Step 1. I wonder if we could share tips and tricks here for achieving Step 1? How do we stop listening for and thinking about tinnitus? My...

This is crazy. I am amazed that it works! For me anything that muffles outside sounds just makes my T seem way louder. I've had to stop wearing tightly fitting hats for example, for that reason. I would love it if earplugs quietened my T. Do you have any idea how/why it works? I'm wondering if I...

My theory is that tinnitus doesn't actually wake you up. It's more the anxiety wakes you up. And/or you wake up naturally but the first thing you hear is the tinnitus and so you think it woke you up. There are people with very severe tinnitus who sleep just fine so I tend to use this as...

You don't say whether you've experienced anxiety or depression along with your tinnitus, but I imagine they are present, as they are for most people on here. I think it's really normal to experience loss of libido, along with loss of interest in other things in life, alongside these conditions...

I read stuff about people recovering from noise exposure related tinnitus all the time. I got mine from a virus (I think) and I sometimes WISH I got it from noise, so that I too could be one of these success stories. The point being, the grass is always greener, and it's natural to look at...

I don't know anything about morse code tinnitus but I do know 6 months is nothing in tinnitus land. Good luck and hang in there!!

So great to hear this. Even before the morse code disappeared, sounds like you have been slowly coping better over the years (spike aside)?

Hang in there. Lots and lots of stories on here of people managing to habituate to highly intrusive tinnitus.

Mine definitely got worse from the beginning until now. These days I can't tell if it's getting worse or not. I definitely worry that it is. Anyway I'm convinced that it's extremely common and normal for it to get worse at the beginning because you're focusing on it more and more. It's like...

Yeah I think this is a common problem. Have you tried pillow speakers? That's the obvious solution. Weirdly, I used pillow speakers for a couple of weeks and now I'm able to sleep on my side no problem, even without them. I still play rain noises on a sound machine that just stands on a desk in...

Hi Dave, Hope you are still doing well and thanks for sharing your story. Could I ask you to share a bit more about the exposure? Did you start with a shorter time and then build up? Or did you just go for it? Did you do it every day? Did you do it regardless of whether you were having a good...

Hi @emily-anne, I'm not sure I can really offer that support in this stage of my own tinnitus journey, although I'd really like that sort of support for myself! I'm a little bit further ahead than you – I don't feel I'm anywhere near habituation yet but I'm doing a fair bit better in terms of...

There's lots of evidence to show that T perception isn't related to hair cells alone. It's more of a brain thing than anything else. For example, in people with hearing loss they are effectively straining more to listen out for sounds, and in doing so they start hearing their own internal...

Loads of people get better after acoustic trauma. Don't let the "6 weeks" stress you out either. It's easy to panic if you start approaching the predicted deadline and don't see improvement. Some people recover after 6 months or a year or so. Hopefully it won't take that long for you, but just...

Yeah relaxing can feel very difficult with T! Still VERY much a learning process for me. But I find that relaxing activities are usually better than just sitting. I still struggle to relax when watching TV because of the T. But things like cooking, or going for a meal with friends relax me more...

Also yes stress is bad for you and bad for T, but so is sitting around worrying. Sometimes a bit of distraction and hard work actually LESSENS the overall stress on your system.