Controversial Topic: Can I Fully Mask Tinnitus During the Day?

[AfroSnowman]

Thanks - sorry I wasn't trying to be hostile - my temper is just short dealing with this shit.

I hope I do habituate quite honestly. I think it's a little harder for me as I don't have one, unbroken pure tone, more like random "chatter" in both ears that ranges from hissing to high pitches squeaking. It's like whenever I hear a sound it gets distorted in various random ways that are very unsettling. Time will tell I suppose.

One thing with habituation from my experience as someone who is a significant way there is that it is not a switch, the path is windy, and there is only a little you can do to hurry up the process, though I imagine there are things you can do to slow it down. It is going to take time, maybe a good bit of time to get there. Be patient, be kind to yourself, be brave, do what you need to do to get through this highly traumatic part of the journey (limited judicious use of benzos can be life savers), and reach out to us folks that have traveled the same path.

 

[GBB]

Given that you've stated you have ample resources, I wonder if working with more specialized doctors could help you get through this.

For example, an audiologist who specializes in tinnitus (which might take some searching), can help you identify the best device / hearing aid /masker to use and more importantly, how to tweak it to maximize its relief. They can make it as effective as possible while keeping it safe. Incidentally, there are other things these devices can do to provide relief in addition to masking.

A neurotologist who specializes in managing tinnitus could help with finding the right prescriptions.

etc.

Thanks, I have an appointment with a specialist in December.

 

[Luman]

This is why I think people who immediately point to habituation aren't taking into consideration how bizarre some people's hearing issues can be. I think in some cases preaching habituation is harmful - it's like the ENT who tells you get used to it - you can end up with people jumping off of buildings or hanging from ropes.

We are not just inexperienced "people who immediately point to habituation..." I have had extremely diverse, annoying, strange auditory symptoms that can be heard above heavy traffic noise and construction in the street. In the vast majority of cases, these very disturbing sounds diminish or disappear, and the brain learns to filter out the rest. The part of the mind that reacts with fear and anxiety to the remaining tinnitus, eventually gets bored with it and your focus is diverted. You cannot control the primitive section of the brain, which does not understand logic or attempts to quell emotional responses when it mistakenly perceives tinnitus to be a danger signal. The more you try to control tinnitus, the more the brain thinks there's a life-threatening situation which ramps up your anxiety, and hampers habituation. Setbacks are a normal part of the habituation process, the trick is to not make it worse.

 

[Chadilac]

These two are the only ones that give me relief at not so low volume:

Thanks, those are all good. The last one you posted was one that I listened to for the first 2 months since onset.

 

[dan]

I have a high pitched dentist drill in the middle of my head that used to pierce my soul and leave me in bed for weeks wishing my life would end. On top of this, I have a lower-pitched drone in my left ear and a pure tone sound in my right ear and underneath it all is a shhhhhhhhh sound. The shhhhhh sound can morph into cicadas and other sounds. I can hear my tinnitus pretty much everywhere. I could stand next to a motorway/freeway with heavy traffic on it and hear it easily because of the high pitched nature of it. It's a cacophony of noise, as I often call it.

Was it always this way or has it gotten worse over time? How long did you take to habituate? Thanks.