I just came across this site and was anxious to see what others are going through and hopefully get some info on medical treatments. I have had tinnitus since 1993. It's in my left ear and it has never ceased or diminished during the entire 21 years I've had it. I have just learned to live with it and it doesn't really bother me that much. It just is. I look at other people with some more obvious challenges and I feel grateful that I only have tinnitus. I jokingly tell others who think it's a horrible thing, that with tinnitus I know I'm alive every morning when I wake up. It's the first thing I hear when I wake up and the last thing I hear when I go to sleep. If I ever wake up without ringing in my ears I will know that I'm dead. Some get it, some don't. For those who are new to this don't let it get you down. It hasn't stopped me from living my life and I will never let it control me.