I'm glad to listen to your podcast. I did achieve habituation for about 2 of these last 9 years. However, generally speaking adjusting to size 26" jeans with a waist size of 34" (to use the oft cited metaphor) is extremely challenging to say the least.
Nine years ago, I experienced a catastrophic first year where I lost 30 pounds, from 150 to 120 at 5'8", never slept more than 90 minutes for months, experienced panic attacks, heat stroke even with weather in the 70s and had extreme hyperacusis where the neighbor's air conditioner sounded like a Boeing 747. I went on disability and barely made it through those first months. (I asked my GP for the safest sleeping pill and the 1 single tablet of Ambien caused major suicide ideation for about 3 hours that I managed to address with meditation, pranayama, incense, chanting mantras, and my knowledge of Ayurveda.)
Anyway 9 years and $125,000 later, multiple ENTs, TRT, sound enrichment, acupuncture, Klonopin, celexa, gabapentin, Ayurvedic treatment that was very helpful for the 6 weeks just before COVID-19 hit that I spent in India and one month after... and I'm dealing with pretty heavy tinnitus again - from the rare day at 4 up to 8. (I did have about 2 calmer years where severity and reactivity both were about 4.)
These days, I anticipate at some point I might decide suicide is (not my preferred) but remaining option if and when I reach a full state of exhaustion depending on whether quality of life becomes so painful it's not sustainable.
It could be useful, albeit depressing, to interview people years in who are still facing major obstacles to habituation.
On another note, if anyone has a therapist suggestion for general life issues, I'd be interested in MA, USA suggestions. I'd vastly prefer a psychologist familiar with tinnitus and its challenges.
Thanks so much. No intent to alarm people here. I'm nowhere near seeing ending life as being in my greatest good, but there may come a point after any number of years in the future where I reconsider whether that's going to be the remaining choice to achieve relief.
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