Hi All — After About Four Months of Intense Therapy I Consider Myself Habituated

[Katvanallen]

Hello, I joined this site in January after experiencing tinnitus randomly while I was sitting and reading.

I went through about four months of hell.

I could not eat (I weighed 130 dropped to 113 in about 2 months), could not sleep (literally).

My anxiety was so bad I felt like I was about to have a job interview constantly.

These were the worst couple of months of my entire life.

I decided after a couple months that I needed to do something, so I started seeing a therapist, and I started an antidepressant.

Although I had told my therapist about my tinnitus she was convinced that once I had my anxiety under control the tinnitus would not have control over me anymore. She was right.

After about four months of intense therapy my anxiety has lessened dramatically and so has my reaction to tinnitus.

I still have it, I don't think it will ever go away but I am not nearly as bothered by it as I was when it started.

I can sleep now! Once I experienced tinnitus I was convinced I would never be able to enjoy my life again. But I really believe that half of my battle was with the anxiety.

I know some of you have had tinnitus for a lot longer and are still suffering with it.

But I just wanted to share with everyone that therapy and management of my anxiety has helped so much.

I would say I am habituated now =]

 

[fishbone]

Hello, I joined this site in January after experiencing tinnitus randomly while I was sitting and reading.

I went through about four months of hell.

I could not eat (I weighed 130 dropped to 113 in about 2 months), could not sleep (literally).

My anxiety was so bad I felt like I was about to have a job interview constantly.

These were the worst couple of months of my entire life.

I decided after a couple months that I needed to do something, so I started seeing a therapist, and I started an antidepressant.

Although I had told my therapist about my tinnitus she was convinced that once I had my anxiety under control the tinnitus would not have control over me anymore. She was right.

After about four months of intense therapy my anxiety has lessened dramatically and so has my reaction to tinnitus.

I still have it, I don't think it will ever go away but I am not nearly as bothered by it as I was when it started.

I can sleep now! Once I experienced tinnitus I was convinced I would never be able to enjoy my life again. But I really believe that half of my battle was with the anxiety.

I know some of you have had tinnitus for a lot longer and are still suffering with it.

But I just wanted to share with everyone that therapy and management of my anxiety has helped so much.

I would say I am habituated now =]

Great job! Keep up the good work....

 

[Bobbie7]

I would say I am habituated now =]

Hi @Katvanallen - That's w..o..n..d..e..r..f..u..l and so very encouraging ! I'm glad you posted this under "Success Stories" since all members welcome hearing jubilant stories such as yours.

I am pleased to hear of your habituation since that is ultimately the goal for everyone and here's wishing you much happiness!

Barbara

 

[Tinker Bell]

Thank you so much for posting, this is very encouraging!

 

[Mkc28]

@Katvanallen, I think anxiety is my problem also. Which antidepressant are you using?

 

[Paulmanlike]

@Bear0211 you see

 

[Bear0211]

@Paulmanlike
I know. It's fab. And I love reading this stuff. Guess mines isnt mild enough for me to cope with....
Yet. Maybe I will. I don't know
But I can't get past the regret and the depression isn't helping one iota!

I need a miracle! Haha.

 

[Katvanallen]

@Paulmanlike I highly suggest trying some medication. It took me out of the panic and depression of it and im able to look at it more rationally now.

 

[Katvanallen]

@Mkc28 I am using lexapro. I heave heard its the best one for anxiety. I mean, I still have anxiety I probably always will but I feel like its under control.

 

[Mkc28]

Thanks @Katvanallen. Yea I know they worked great for me at first but then turned on me. Paxil made me not worry about anything until the vivid nightmares came. Somebody trying to kill me every night. Ended up with insomnia. My physician upped the dose. Then my little boys couldn't wake me up from the sound sleep I was in. Scared the heck out of them. Then came the suicide feelings. Not good! A couple years later when my son's appendix burst I was given ativan and lexapro for my anxiety. Ok at first, but then lexapro made me have terrible side abdominal pains. Quit both of them and ended up on clonazepam for a few months with no side effects. I like clonazepam and had some extra pills and it took my T almost away, but had to quit because I only have a few left and I don't think my physician would give them to me. When I told her it took my T away she just said hmm and gave me mirtazapane to try. I haven't yet. But I'm glad lexapro is working for you!!

 

[Paulmanlike]

There are many ways of seeing things, but I think the one that comes closest to reality, is the fact that the bad called habituation, produces terrror instead of relief, because it means to imagine having to live with tinnitus the rest of Life with nothing that can be done, which is completely frightening and paralyzing

Once people are habituated, truely they will know. I know this because I personally know people with tinnitus who don't care about it; their reaction is neither positive or negative. They will only hear when reminded of it and when they do, their emotional reaction to it is zero. I'm talking about mild-moderate tinnitus here, so any severe sufferers I am not talking about you as I don't know anybody personally with it severely.

 

[Katvanallen]

@Equalizer what a terrible thing to say. I still think about my tinnitus often but I have no longer have a negative reaction to it. Just like feeling my clothes on my body, sitting on a chair, hearing all the other sounds in the world. And I personally know about five people in my life that have had it for years and they all say the same thing about it.

 

[MBH]

I'm glad you are able to enjoy life and move on to stay in a bad frame of mind is not good anyway. It is very hard to get to a good state. I was always good minded, but when I got T I never realized were a person mind goes. I am glad you are able to deal with this illness. To me it is not a symptom. The understanding of it all is very difficult.

 

[DebInAustralia]

There are many ways of seeing things, but I think the one that comes closest to reality, is the fact that the bad called habituation, produces terrror instead of relief, because it means to imagine having to live with tinnitus the rest of Life with nothing that can be done, which is completely frightening and paralyzing

i dont agree.

im habituated.

im neither frightened or paralysed.

 

[Dave Viger]

This is supposed to be a section on success stories, and there is far too much that is negative, depressing, and expression of hopelessness. Can't see how that helps anyone...just the opposite! No question this is the worst thing one has ever experienced in their life when it first hits. It's horrible, but those that have habituated say basically not to worry or give up, that it will habituate, for sure! That how you feel now is not the way you will always feel. If you take time to read real and dramatic success stories you will come away far more hopeful and encouraged than some of these depressing remarks! 70 % have it stop completely! Most of the rest do habituate, and on the way to that have the sounds get softer, and less distracting and terrifying.

Also, one person's remedy for completely stopping tinnitus cold may not work for everyone, as everyone has different causes and body chemistry, but everyone usually finds something that they can take that works! There is one miraculous post about a 40-year veteran of severe T, and they licked it when they read about someone that instead of listening to it and comparing its volume or severity to other times, they strictly noted how it made them feel: scared, discouraged, happy, free of it...and this worked as a miracle! It completely changed the way they accounted for it, and it really worked, eliminated it entirely or 95%+ of it, so you couldn't notice or "hear" it.

Read some more success, true success stories, and get your hopes up and for sure, lower your T and fear of it, or obsession of it!

Finally, believe in miracles. I've read of them here. There is a God, and he also can help you either eliminate it, or forget about it and feel normal again. Faith and Prayer does help and it does work. We are never given more than we can conquer and be victorious. There can be a lot that is gained from this. It makes some people really grow, become more loving towards people in their lives, be more humble in a good way, realize how strong they really are, and the list goes on. We may feel like giving up at times, but somehow we just can't. There will be relief according to so many with real and exciting stories of success to share, some who started out with the worst T ever, and licked it!

 

[Paulmanlike]

@Paulmanlike I highly suggest trying some medication. It took me out of the panic and depression of it and im able to look at it more rationally now.

Been on SSRI's years, it's not helping me unfortanetly. What therapy did u have? CBT?

 

[Katvanallen]

@Paulmanlike yes just cbt. I still go weekly I will probably have to go for about 6 months longer but it has definitely helped a lot. I am sorry the ssri didn't work for you.

 

[Elliott.S]

I don't understand why people come to success stories and spit their frustration here. No one knows how each one of us here reacts to their own T.

Also, I truly believe one should not try a correlation between loudness and habituation.

I often read comments here like :"If yours were as loud as mine, you would never habituate". Fortunately, this is not true.

A young man, age 16, who's new to T, with very low T that he can only hear in silence at night, can have suicidal thoughts, believing truly that his life is over. We see plenty of people here on this forum that have "low db T" and yet can't face their lives anymore.
On the other hand, we've got people here with multi-tonal / very loud T that have learnt to cope with it.

I have 4 different frequences in my ears/head, 2 of them I can hear 90 % of the time, even in not-quiet environments. I feel tired and angry at life, but I can never put myself in someone else's shoes. Maybe yours is much quiter than mine and yet you can't bear it at all.

Again, please, don't come here on success stories to complain about your own failure in dealing with this horrible condition.

Love

 

[Tinker Bell]

I don't understand why people come to success stories and spit their frustration here. No one knows how each one of us here reacts to their own T.

Also, I truly believe one should not try a correlation between loudness and habituation.

I often read comments here like :"If yours were as loud as mine, you would never habituate". Fortunately, this is not true.

A young man, age 16, who's new to T, with very low T that he can only hear in silence at night, can have suicidal thoughts, believing truly that his life is over. We see plenty of people here on this forum that have "low db T" and yet can't face their lives anymore.
On the other hand, we've got people here with multi-tonal / very loud T that have learnt to cope with it.

I have 4 different frequences in my ears/head, 2 of them I can hear 90 % of the time, even in not-quiet environments. I feel tired and angry at life, but I can never put myself in someone else's shoes. Maybe yours is much quiter than mine and yet you can't bear it at all.

Again, please, don't come here on success stories to complain about your own failure in dealing with this horrible condition.

Love

Well said.

 

[DebInAustralia]

Im actually not here bc im obsessed with t at all.

Im here to support others who are struggling bc ill never forget what it was like in the beginning.

 

[Rohit Saluja]

I would never be able to enjoy my life again

I am 3 months in going through the same situation, don't lose hope, there are some people whose tinnitus has gone away after some years.

 

[Jcb]

I enjoy stories like this, makes me feel more hopeful that if this permanent for me I will get to this point as well.

I understand some people get frustrated and have a permanent negative outlook on T (which is totally understandable btw) but maybe try and take the positives of stories like these and let it help them to move forward.

Anway congrats and may you only go forward.

 

[threefirefour]

Im actually not here bc im obsessed with t at all.

Im here to support others who are struggling bc ill never forget what it was like in the beginning.

Yeah that's what they all say. Makes it absolutely no more believable, but that's what's they all say.

 

[DebInAustralia]

so you think i'm lying??

 

[threefirefour]

so you think i'm lying??

I'm not saying you're completely lying, and you may really want to help people, but yeah, you're motives here aren't completely philanthropic. Don't worry nobodies is. That's why despite """""habituating""""", they all linger around here under the guise of "helping others". If I recall correctly, you had stem cell treatment done to reduce your tinnitus. If you didn't care, why would you do that?

 

[Katvanallen]

I agree with @DebInAustralia. I am definitely not obsessed with t, but I remember how aweful I felt at my lowest with t and I feel like if I can help people I will. Which is why I keep checking this site.

 

[threefirefour]

I agree with @DebInAustralia. I am definitely not obsessed with t, but I remember how aweful I felt at my lowest with t and I feel like if I can help people I will. Which is why I keep checking this site.

Just proving my point that it's what they all say. It sure seems like people check the site when their tinnitus is particularly bad, and want to check out treatments. Sorry but I just don't buy it.

Nice picture btw. I always kind of wondered, which girl are you?

 

[Sven]

I believe you, @DebInAustralia.

I remember though, when I was "habituated" (though still thinking about my T quite often, i.e. every day), that I thought I ought to show up here once in a while, but it seems I only think of coming here when I feel bad about it. (Spiking, that is, like I am right now).

 

[Contrast]

I don't agree with @threefirefour constantly pestering people in habituation threads but I do agree with him that a cure is the ultimate goal not habituation. That's why I spend so much time reading research articles on hearing loss, T and H trying to stay informed and hoping science can make a difference in our lives instead of just excepting a lower quality of life like the general consensus here that seems to hold the belief that habituation is just as good as a cure.

Being someone with Borderline personality disorder, autism and possibly psychosis I feel that being told to habituate is a trigger for me! No one gets my story and no one cares but I might as well post a short description.

How can I habituate knowing my T happening during one of my maniac BPD episodes doing something stupid I KNEW I would regret. Several months before I got my T I was in the process of making massive positive changes to better my life despite living with a real mental illness. I came so close to having a good life and making meaningful friends. for the first time in five years my life stopped SUCKING! Then I had a maniac episode of blasting my ears with loud noise I got my T, Now I hit a catastrophic low!

T, H and hearing loss is going to haunt me for the rest of my life, if I choose to continue existing. All my favorite music that kept me mentally sane is ruined because of my reactive tinnitus. I have to go the rest of my life just adapting to it when my life is already terrible enough. Tinnitus made me lose my job, my plans to go back to school and ruined my passion for life and I'm on a freaking suicide watch

Then you got this jack ass that is actually using pseudo science about hyperacusis and tinnitus that competes with actual research for a cure. How do you think that makes us feel?

 

[Katvanallen]

@threefirefour are you serious about my picture? You can't tell the person in the back is a child?