Effect of time ...

[Beth]

"It's pretty overwhelming to realize that you are now faced with something that may be with you for the duration of your life".

But if it bothers you not one little bit then it doesn't matter that it's with you all your life. Looking for a cure and not accepting anything less means people can stay miserable for a very long time. If you couldn't care less that you have it then that's as good as a cure. In my humble opinion anyway.

 

[billie48]

Time may ultimately help tinnitus sufferers, but I actually don't like telling people to "give it time". I realize that with tinnitus, there is often nothing we can do. But just telling people who are in desperate need of comfort to, "Give it time", quite frankly, is not a helpful answer. There are obviously coping strategies that these people can learn about that will help them handle their tinnitus better... and yes, time will tell whether the tinnitus just spontaneously goes away or, if not, then hopefully they will habituate. But telling someone to "give it time" really just leaves them feeling hopeless, and just tells them that some day, they might feel better.

So in my personal opinion, when someone is in need of help, they should be given some strategies to help them now and throughout their struggle with tinnitus until "time" has helped them.

I agree with you. Time is not the only element of healing. You need to explore, study, try out various available strategies which people have some proven success. If one doesn't work, try another. Never know which one approach will work for you unless you try them. We also advise newer sufferers to go back living life again. But even that takes time. Many will confess that they have to drag themselves out of bed or out of their house as they are too afraid or too tired to go out.

Also, among the newer sufferers, there is a certain tendency to think that they have learned about some good approach, even try it, then switch to other ones hastily as they don't see result fast enough. There is a certain tendency to think that a good approach can cure you speedily, say within a month or a few months. There is a tendency also to be impatient with setbacks. They think setbacks are proofs that the approach doesn't work. They get anxious why they still cannot control their anxiety/panic reaction to T after following the advice of the veteran members. How do I know? I know because I have helped many newer sufferers with PM on Yuku or conversation here on TT, and it is a common theme among many of them that they are anxious that even after learning and trying to follow some good advise, they still cannot control their anxious and panic reaction to T. They express frustration and fear that they may be the special cases that cannot be habituated.

To these newer sufferers, I say give it time. Give time for the body to absorb in the new conditions. You just can't expect miracle overnight. A totally traumatized mind and exhausted body need time to adjust to the new condition. Doesn't mind what golden truth you have learned. Things take time to heal. Trying to push for speedy cure or relief will usually end up in more anxiety and sense of hopelessness when it fails. Of course if the condition is medically based and can be medically rectified, it is a different story.

But generally, when the suffering is from the mental side of thing, from the irrational phobia about that mad ringing, it will take time to heal or retrain the brain not to be overwhelmed by the mad ringing. That is the tough part requiring time, and that is why so many people in their success stories post about the common ingredient of giving it enough time to see the turning around. That is also why most success stories never say they recover magically in weeks or a few short months from the start of their T. Newer T sufferers have to learn to be realistic with their expectation of speedy recovery. If they don't give it time, it often can lead to frustration, more anxiety and even sense of despair.

 

[erik]

Today my T is loud. Yesterday it was quiet. In any case I don't really care. In fact, I am getting ready to go to the movies tonight. I might even go out after that. So how did I get to this point? I don't know exactly. It did happen after a time. Maybe a year or more. But I didn't just wait a year and it magically happened.

During this time, I was anxious, frantic, full of despair in the beginning. I talked to people some of whom I listened to, some of whom I did not. I stopped going out. I stopped talking to my friends. I stayed at home. I learned everything about T that I could on my own. I took supplements. I stopped eating MSG. I stopped exercising. I stopped drinking coffee and soda. I felt sorry for myself....

I went thru 20 weeks of CBT. I read the Henry/Wilson Tinnitus book three or four times. I listened to nature sounds. I found Tinnitus Talk. I volunteered. I took better care of myself. I went to yoga. I tried 6 weeks of acupuncture. I talked to my dentist about TMJ- nope didn't have it. I went to the former OHSU Tinnitus Clinic and met with Dr. Shi and Billy Martin. I walked 2 miles a day. I played soccer. I played basketball. I started drinking coffee again. I volunteered some more. I hung out with friends again. I spent quality time with my family. I worked harder. I played harder. I mined some bitcoins, I went to Vegas....I enjoyed life again....

I think the latter part is how I got to where I am but not without the process of going through the first part. We all have to find our own way, sometimes with help, sometimes without, but in the end no matter how we get to "Habituation", we just hope, and want to get there.

 

[Carlos1]

Today my T is loud. Yesterday it was quiet. In any case I don't really care. In fact, I am getting ready to go to the movies tonight. I might even go out after that. So how did I get to this point? I don't know exactly. It did happen after a time. Maybe a year or more. But I didn't just wait a year and it magically happened.

During this time, I was anxious, frantic, full of despair in the beginning. I talked to people some of whom I listened to, some of whom I did not. I stopped going out. I stopped talking to my friends. I stayed at home. I learned everything about T that I could on my own. I took supplements. I stopped eating MSG. I stopped exercising. I stopped drinking coffee and soda. I felt sorry for myself....

I went thru 20 weeks of CBT. I read the Henry/Wilson Tinnitus book three or four times. I listened to nature sounds. I found Tinnitus Talk. I volunteered. I took better care of myself. I went to yoga. I tried 6 weeks of acupuncture. I talked to my dentist about TMJ- nope didn't have it. I went to the former OHSU Tinnitus Clinic and met with Dr. Shi and Billy Martin. I walked 2 miles a day. I played soccer. I played basketball. I started drinking coffee again. I volunteered some more. I hung out with friends again. I spent quality time with my family. I worked harder. I played harder. I mined some bitcoins, I went to Vegas....I enjoyed life again....

I think the latter part is how I got to where I am but not without the process of going through the first part. We all have to find our own way, sometimes with help, sometimes without, but in the end no matter how we get to "Habituation", we just hope, and want to get there.

Well said Erik Habituation 101 stay strong