such nice words mate - thanks bro - i really hope i get there!!!
you say you know many people who have it and don't care - what do they say when you ask them about it??
also point 1 and 2 above can you please explain how this will help
again thx!!
Hey Steve2212, I also know a lot of people who have T and I asked them how they deal with it. They're all fine and live happy lives.
One of them is my brother. He has otosclerosis and developed T after an ear surgery. The first and last time I heard him about T was a few days after his surgery (now 6 years ago). Told me that he had tinnitus and that it would stay forever. I recently asked him if he still has it since I developed T almost 5 months ago. He says he still has it and that 99% of the time he is not aware of his T. Sometimes someone mentions it or it just becomes a little louder due to fluctuations, and the only thing he thinks is, ah ok, there it is again. Few minutes later he forgets about it, and he continues life. So to him it's just a bit annoying sometimes. His loudness level is about 4/5-10.
My mother in law has T as well. She told me she actually can always hear it. Hers is like static. She just isn't bothered by it that much. She decided to accept it, and let it be. At home she turns on the tv so she doesn't hear it. At night she reads a book in bed and when she's tired she turns off the lights to go sleep, and she doesn't hear it because she's not aware it's there. Sometimes when she can't sleep (not because of T) she starts to hear it very clearly and gets a bit annoyed by it. But that's it.
The brother of my co-worker also has T. She said at the beginning he was very upset, depressed and quickly agitated. But he's doing fine now. A very happy person, not bothered by his T. She says it's been there for such a long time he doesn't even notice it 99% of the time.
My mother has it intermittently, when she's tired or when her muscles are very tense. She actually NEVER knew that she had tinnitus until I mentioned that I had it. She called me and told me that one night she couldn't sleep because she suddenly became aware of the crickets in her head. Next day she forgot about it and didn't hear it, but she told me that she actually always had the crickets in her head. She always thought that this was normal and that it was an external sound. And she has it pretty loud actually. She's been hearing it for two months now, because she became aware of it thanks to me. And she doesn't just hear it in a silent room. It's not very mild. But she just isn't bothered by it. She knows she always had this and that it didn't bother her before so she's moving on with life. I know that intermittent T is not the same as the 24/7 T, but for me my mothers case is an example of how important your reaction to T is (or better: how important it is to not react at all). I certainly believe that with time your brain can learn to ignore the sound and process it as something unimportant. As I said, I'm almost 5 months in, and I'm already doing a lot better. I just try to stay as calm as possible and I distract myself with positive activities. This helps me to forget about T sometimes and it lets my brain know that there are other (positive) things in life. At first I noticed my T 24/7. Nowadays I notice it a few times throughout the day or when it's silent. Sometimes it's very noticeable but there are more and more moments that I'm not aware of it or bothered by it. Few months ago I thought this would be impossible and I wanted to die. Now I know that I'll be alright.
A brother of a friend of mine has T for 10 years now. He is bothered by it when he is stressed, but that's all. He has it pretty loud as well. But he is living a happy life and 2 years ago he became father of a beautiful girl. So it is possible to live a happy life with T, to move on, and experience beautiful things that life has to offer.
I could tell the stories of all people I know with T, but their stories are actually all the same. At first these persons were bothered by their T, but eventually they've moved on with life. I don't think there is something you can actually do to habituate. I think it is important to try to stay calm, to distract yourself with positive activities, to go to a therapist if you're really really suffering, and to listen very good to yourself and your body. Eat well, sleep well, work out. Allow your feelings. If you're sad, be sad and cry. If you're happy, be happy and have fun. Emotions go through your body like waves. Just let it happen and your emotions will calm down eventually. I know this can be very difficult. But it takes time.
There is one person that I know whose tinnitus went away. She had T for 1,5 years due to an infection and barotrauma. Hers was very very loud and she couldn't sleep. She heard it over everything. Then suddenly it started to fade and stopped. She now doesn't hear T, cause it's gone. No habituation.
I hope you find this helpful. Just want to let you know that in the majority of cases it gets better. Tinnitus is like a wound. It has to heal but there is nothing in particular you can do about it. In the meantime it hurts, it stings, it itches, but it becomes better. Eventually it heals and it leaves you with a scar. The scar doesn't bother you, but it is there. Sometimes you become aware of it when you see it. It then reminds you of the time when the wound was painful, maybe a very dark time. But guess what, it's healed, it's just a scar now. It's just there, and you move on with life.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask them or message me.
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