How Can I Stop Listening to My Tinnitus?

[Alue]

Very interesting, thanks for sharing this. That really struck me because for me personally, I prefer when my tinnitus clearly sounds like it's coming from my ear versus bouncing around my head. When it originates more from my ear, I can more easily pretend it's just an outside sound.

Yeah, it seems easier to habituate to if it's in your ear. It's probably easier when it's not in the dog whistle range too...

Does yours actually move back and forth from your head to your ear?

 

[Tinker Bell]

Yeah, it seems easier to habituate to if it's in your ear. It's probably easier when it's not in the dog whistle range too...

Does yours actually move back and forth from your head to your ear?

Yes, it does move from my ear to head. Sometimes it seems to come from my good ear, too.

Mine is also very high pitch. A dog whistle is a good analogy. I've tried cicada and cricket white noise and both are a lower pitch.

 

[Luman]

Yes, it does move from my ear to head. Sometimes it seems to come from my good ear, too.

Mine is also very high pitch. A dog whistle is a good analogy. I've tried cicada and cricket white noise and both are a lower pitch.

I get mid-high range white noise when I wake up, after a few hours it changes frequencies to a dog whistle type of noise. On a good day, once in a while, it settles down for a couple of hours in the late evening and I will experience a bit of quiet or near quiet.

 

[Erin1997]

Hi guys.

I have a question for you all.

How can I break the habit of listening to my tinnitus?

I have OCD and anxiety which doesn't help things.

My tinnitus isn't that loud, but it is still very distressing as I can't stop listening to it or trying to search it out.

What have you guys done that has been successful in stopping yourselves from listening to your tinnitus.

Look forward to your replies.

Thanks,

Sonny.

Hey Sonny!

I have the same problem but I am actually starting to see the light. My situation is not bad at all but OCD and anxiety are being bullies. I combat this by having the tv on in the background, or music. I immerse myself in things that interest me. My mind then forgets about tinnitus when it has something in the background to focus on, or if my mind is directly focused on doing something. I also remind myself that this is not a deadly condition, and that so many people have way more horrific medical conditions that are actually deadly. This helps reduce my anxiety about tinnitus which helps me ignore it. I also read success stories with tinnitus as well. Some days I look up current research and current scientific efforts and get reassured with the fact that there are people working on tinnitus, and that it is very possible that in my life time great strides can be taken towards combating tinnitus, and I get thankful all over again that we have technology and knowledge today that can help humanity with medical conditions that in the past were hopeless. I also remind myself to be thankful I am alive today because in literally almost any other time period, we did not have the knowledge or technology to even come close to having what we have today to deal with tinnitus. All these things help me ignore tinnitus.

 

[Alue]

Yes, it does move from my ear to head. Sometimes it seems to come from my good ear, too.

Mine is also very high pitch. A dog whistle is a good analogy. I've tried cicada and cricket white noise and both are a lower pitch.

That's interesting that it moves. Mine is dog whistle level that is mostly in my head (worse on the left side). When it gets bad I can almost feel it. It doesn't seem to move much, though. Do you have multiple sounds or just that one dog whistle?

 

[Tinker Bell]

That's interesting that it moves. Mine is dog whistle level that is mostly in my head (worse on the left side). When it gets bad I can almost feel it. It doesn't seem to move much, though. Do you have multiple sounds or just that one dog whistle?

Multiple sounds. It can be very pulsatile. I find that most annoying because that rhythm gets caught in my thoughts and makes it impossible to think or hear.

I have severe hearing loss, so that complicates everything too.

 

[Jazzer]

The author also recommends other visualizations while meditating on your tinnitus, such as volume and tone knobs to control your tinnitus level and frequencies, a large ON-OFF switch that looks like something from a mad scientist's laboratory, which you can flip on and off.

I have found that there are times when I really am a sufferer, and then there are times when I am much more of an observer, and therefore much less troubled.
"Yea okay, the noise is still there, but it's okay - I'm not bothered really."
It seems that the decision as to which way to go, is made soon after waking up.

 

[Dana]

@Jazzer
Jazzer, did you ever have a serious spike?
Did the tinnitus volume increase so much that the sufering was not optional (depending in your decision)?

 

[Jazzer]

@Philippe79 - I have noticed from time to time that the way you describe your "T" is similar to the way I think about mine.
Perhaps the volume and intensity is about the same.

 

[Jazzer]

@Dana - I had low level Tinnitus - audible but quiet - for over twenty years - not a problem.
Then a serious acoustic trauma in June 2014, when the level ramped up to where it is now.
I went completely deaf in my left ear for 48 hours.
My hearing came back, and this Tinnitus with it.
I don't pretend to have complete control of that lever yet, but there are definitely times when I am a sufferer, and times when I am an observer.
ie - I'm working on it.....