Hi! Im only curios about those who finally reached that state of mind.
Do u consider yourself happy as you were before?
Do you consider yourself having a limited life? (Activities such as clubbing etc)
Has it effected any relationship in your life?
Has your T changed?
I so want my normal life back... I used to see big things in the small but now i just feel the other way.
I find it unfortunate that this thread has encountered some negativity when the OP asked for responses from individuals who
have habituated and is looking for support and positivity, not messages of lack of possibility and doom. There Perhaps not everyone says things sensitively enough, but please remember that people who have habituated are here trying to help not belittle anyone's experience or suffering. Everyone is here because we know the suffering this condition can bring about. Try to remember that care and empathy for everyone is at the core, even if words fall short.
Naddesh, as you read these replies, please understand that not everyone who has habituated has/had mild tinnitus - that is not a requirement of habituation. I make not claims or blanket statements for every person here and I have nothing for empathy and compassion for those who suffer deeply, I can only speak for what is in my own head, but I have seen people in a very, very bad place get to a better one. Those who say habituation with T at a certain level is impossible can also only speak for their own tinnitus and themselves, and also do not actually know what is in anyone else's head - so that is something to remember. Take the positive, sit in your own experience - things can get better and I do believe that for my own part.
To answer your questions:
1. I am different than I was before. Tinnitus was a very traumatic thing for me that took me years to come to terms with, very slowly, it was probably one of the most defining experiences of my life. So it changed me, but not in a way that made me less happy. I am back to being as happy (or as not happy haha) as I was before, I think.
2. I have changed my lifestyle somewhat, and at first that felt limiting, but I don't mind it so much anymore. I carry earplugs in every pocket - I feel like if you shook me upside-down about 20 would fall to the ground haha. I plug my ears when the subway rolls by, I tend to avoid loud bars, restaurants etc. and I often excuse myself to go outside. At first this felt limiting, but life is full of limts - we are just more used to some of them and others we become accustomed to more slowly. Is an elderly person bothered by not being able to run? I imagine so, but that's life, you become habituated to that limit. Are people with glasses annoyed they have to wear them sometimes, for sure. Once you're not bothered by the sound itself, the limits that having to take care of your ears more carefully impart become more like putting on glasses and less like a traumatic loss. It's something you do, but it's just habit, not upsetting.
3. Tinnitus affected a lot of relationships, but in the long run, for the better. It did, in fact, create a lot of relationships and showed me that some that I had were not that valuable. The people who come around you when you are suffering are special and I saw them in that time. I have met wonderful, brave people here, and going through this, and continuing to live with it, teaches me lessons every day. I actually just wrote a long email today to a nurse who took care of me when I was at my worst. She was an angel to me and now a dear friend. Being open about my tinnitus has also allowed others to see me vulnerable and open and I think that is valuable in building relationships - it's also made me more empathetic to others who suffer. There were certainly times when I was at my very worst when relationships suffered, but mostly I found that I have a lot of people who love me dearly. The relationship that has changed the most though, is the relationship I have with myself.
4. My T has changed, I think it has gotten better if anything. I do get spikes, but it normally goes back to some kind of baseline. I do not assume that it will stay the same forever, but I try to take care of myself as best I can. One day it may become horrible beyond imagining, but if I worry about that, I will lose my life that I have now doing so. I'll have to cross that bridge when I come to it and in the meantime protect my ears and take care of my body so that I have as few regrets as possible if one day things go downhill.
Things can get better Naddesh, hang in there. We are here for you.
Member
