Does Anyone Ever Backslide on Habituation?

[Pre55ure]

So I have had pretty bad tinnitus in my right ear ever since an unfortunate viral infection earlier this year (May?).
A couple of months ago my left ear decided that it wanted in on the act as well, and following a business dinner at a very loud restaurant I ended up with a new very high pitched tone in that ear. Yay.

I recently moved to a much quieter house and area, and decided that I was going to deal with it head on, and ditch the noise generators and fans and other ways that I was trying to hide from it. It was pretty difficult for a couple of weeks, but I felt like I had really started to do a lot better, and was able to (sometimes) legitimately not think about my tinnitus for an hour or so at a time, and when I did think about it I was a lot closer to being able to "just be with it" and to not react as negatively.

Then a few nights ago I was sitting at my computer and just noticed it again, and it just seemed really loud.

This led to me comparing it against some other sounds and devices I had used in the past to mask it. And it really wasn't any louder, I was just noticing strongly in that particular moment, but after that and the anxiety that it caused, I couldn't "unnotice it" again.

Now I'm on day 3, post "noticing" again, and I feel like I'm back at square one.
Can barely stand to be in a quiet room and whenever I hear the tinnitus I am again flooded with anxiety. Ughhh.

I guess I'll go back to fans and other masking devices for a while and build up my mental strength before attempting to deal with it again.

That's all, I guess I'm not really looking for an answer, I just wanted to vent to people who might understand.

 

[fishbone]

Habituation requires constant effort. It's not a get it right once and then you are set. Things can happen, spikes can come along, maybe an unfortunate new baseline possibly comes along. Working on coping skills, and plans on how we can adapt takes time , effort and constant baby steps. If you have intrusive tinnitus, then it's hard or near impossible to not hear it.

I hear mine 24/7 and it's a mess and super loud, it's my feelings towards it that makes the difference. It has taken me a LONG time to reach that level as well...

I wish you lots of luck!

 

[Bill Bauer]

Can barely stand to be in a quiet room and whenever I hear the tinnitus I am again flooded with anxiety.

Habituation normally happens after 18-24 months (or longer!). You are six months in, and it is too early for true habituation. It is a good sign that you were able to ignore it for an hour and that you were able to not be overwhelmed with negative emotions. It appears that you will one of the people who are able to habituate. You just need to give it more time.

 

[Bill Bauer]

A couple of months ago my left ear decided that it wanted in on the act as well

It is common for tinnitus spread to the "formerly good" ear. It has happened to me when I was 8 months in.

Have you experienced any fading compared to how it was say 5 months ago?

 

[Michael Leigh]

Thats all, I guess I'm not really looking for an answer, I just wanted to vent to people who might understand.

HI @Pre55ure

The advice @fishbone has given you is spot on and I advise you to follow it.

Tinnitus can be very complex for some people and if hyperacusis is present, something that often accompanies noise induced tinnitus, then a person can find themselves treading some deep murky waters. They will need to be patient as these conditions aren't usually fixed in the short term but take time to acquire knowledge and a certain amount of skill, if they are to know what does and doesn't work for them as they navigate their away along life's road and the twists and turns they will undoubtedly face, as we all do because life is problematic. Therefore, one must try to keep stress to a minimum as tinnitus is intrinsically linked to our mental and emotional wellbeing and cannot be separated from it.

Moving home can be an exciting and stressful process. Since you have moved to a quieter place perhaps it wasn't such a good idea to stop using the sound generators and fans so abruptly. The brain doesn't like sudden changes especially when it has tinnitus to deal with and this is something that you have now found out. By stopping or removing the external sounds your brain has become used to, now allowed it to focus more on the tinnitus and thus make it louder. For this reason I have mentioned in many of my posts, that it's not a good idea for anyone with tinnitus to sleep in a quiet room. Always use low level sound enrichment using a sound machine by the bedside. More about this is explained in the links below.

Continue using the sound generators during the day and I advise at night. Try not to set the sound to mask or cover-up your tinnitus so that it can't be heard. If you do this your brain will not be able to successfully habituate to the tinnitus. The brain cannot habituate to the tinnitus unless it can hear it. Set the sounds just below the tinnitus. Some people use a fan as you have been doing but this often masks the tinnitus, which is not a good idea as I have explained.

Although your tinnitus wasn't noise induced, my advice is not to use headphones even at low volume. More about this is explained in the links below. Try to avoid being in a quiet room during the day or when at the computer. Use low level sound enrichment. If you are feeling stressed which often accompanies tinnitus then talk to your doctor who may prescribe something to help you relax.

All the best
Michael

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/new-to-tinnitus-what-to-do.12558/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/the-habituation-process.20767/

 

[Tybs]

Agreed with the others on the patience part. My case is actually a bit comparable to yours: not sound-induced (fall from stairs, whiplash symptoms afterwards), started in april.

My progress in handling it started out quite slowly, and with some deep valleys if you would plot it out. The first week after my ENT diagnosis ("sry, can't fix this") was menacing: the weeks after were a bit more endurable, but still felt like torture.

The months following were managable, but I had two points in time that I might describe as a nervous breakdown: both a day where it all felt like I couldn't handle the fight anymore and I ended up only crying at home for some time.

Still, I eventually just went to bed and continued my normal activities the day after. The last of these moments was roughly two months ago. I actually recorded a small video for myself of this one, for future reference: where I'm telling myself that I somehow got through that torture, and that I would be able to do so again next time. Haven't watched it since, but it might encourage me if I get another day like that.

Backsliding is normal. You will notice a pattern where if it happens, your recovery time increases with the next occurrence. It's a bit like falling when learning how to walk: you also learn hów to fall and how to get back up. Allow yourself to be a toddler here who is unexperienced in this area (and who might cry, its fine ). In the end, you're walking without falling anymore, and you got more than just one skillset out of it.

Give yourself time, it will work out.

 

[TheDanishGirl]

Yes, I experience the same.

For me habituation is not something one can achieve and then they can't lose it again, at least that's my experience... I go longer periods where I'm about 90-100% habituated and then suddenly I start noticing it more and it spirals a bit out of control and then I loose at least a good portion of my habituation for a while. I have good periods and bad periods with this and I don't think that will ever change.

 

[MasterFA]

@Michael B Hello Michael thx for the help, For phone and headphone at work when talking to clients should I keep using an earplug under ? I'm not seeing any improvement with my T and I don't wanna make it worst. The earplug can add protection or it's the same thing ?

 

[Pre55ure]

Thank you to everyone who commented on this thread.
I still feel like I have "lost" some of my previously learned ability to ignore the T, but I feel like I am doing a bit better today, and hearing other peoples experiences (as well as re - realising that I am still only at best 6 months into this process) has helped put me in a better mindset.

@Tybs - just out of curiosity, do you have any measurable hearing loss from your fall? Or did the T start without any additional hearing symptoms?

I very much relate to your experience. I actually work as a designer of audio electronics and as such my hearing is (was) one of my most valuable assets. When I first started to realise that my hearing loss might be permanent, I was emotionally incapacitated for almost 2 months. The irony is that 6 months later I have mostly learned to deal with the hearing loss (because it kindly doesn't seem to change constantly). And now the tinnitus, hyperacusis, and distortion in that ear are much bigger obstacles.

Again - thanks to you all for the support, going to keep pressing forward and do my best to keep a positive mindset.

 

[Alex Matyjasek]

Habituation normally happens after 18-24 months (or longer!). You are six months in, and it is too early for true habituation. It is a good sign that you were able to ignore it for an hour and that you were able to not be overwhelmed with negative emotions. It appears that you will one of the people who are able to habituate. You just need to give it more time.

I don´t agree. It depends on the person, and how loud there tinnitus is. I think in general it must be a lot shorter to be able to habituate, considering the majority of T sufferers are mild cases.

 

[Bill Bauer]

It depends on the person, and how loud there tinnitus is.

All tinnitus that's louder than "can hear only in quiet rooms" is moderate tinnitus, and there are many posts here where people take 1.5-2 years to begin habituating to moderate tinnitus.

You've had tinnitus for a little over a year. Hopefully you will see what difference a year can make (as one goes from one year in to two years in).

 

[Tybs]

@Tybs - just out of curiosity, do you have any measurable hearing loss from your fall? Or did the T start without any additional hearing symptoms?

I very much relate to your experience. I actually work as a designer of audio electronics and as such my hearing is (was) one of my most valuable assets. When I first started to realise that my hearing loss might be permanent, I was emotionally incapacitated for almost 2 months. The irony is that 6 months later I have mostly learned to deal with the hearing loss (because it kindly doesn't seem to change constantly). And now the tinnitus, hyperacusis, and distortion in that ear are much bigger obstacles.

Again - thanks to you all for the support, going to keep pressing forward and do my best to keep a positive mindset.

In my case, most of the ENT's determined that my audiograms are fine and that hearing loss is not a cause or issue. The only "hearing loss" I have is that on a truly bad day, my T can make it hard for me to hear soft noises. One of these days was actually at the second ENT that I visited, resulting in one minor dip at 8 kHz in the audiogram: this resulted in him trying to put all the blame for my T on that dip. Since the other two audiograms turned out fine though, and for other reasons, I'm quite sure he got cause and effect mixed up there.

Where it comes to mental recovery: indeed, a few months can make a lot of difference.

 

[Alex Matyjasek]

All tinnitus that's louder than "can hear only in quiet rooms" is moderate tinnitus, and there are many posts here where people take 1.5-2 years to begin habituating to moderate tinnitus.

You've had tinnitus for a little over a year. Hopefully you will see what difference a year can make (as one goes from one year in to two years in).

I have moderate to tinnitus considering that I can hear it everywhere. It's true it's not even half as bad as it used to be. Not sure if it's because of habituation or it's simply not as loud as it used to be. What I can say after 13 shitty months I got my life back... And i just find it strange that it takes some people so long to even start habituating... But you're more informed then I am, so nothing more to say.

 

[Bill Bauer]

And i just find it strange that it takes some people so long to even start habituating...

It is possible (likely?) that in another year you will feel better compared to how you are feeling now, and will then conclude that it took you 2 years to achieve true habituation.

But you're more informed then I am, so nothing more to say.

I'm just a guy who has been reading this forum almost every day beginning in February 2017. I came to some conclusions, but of course some of those conclusions might be wrong.