How Do You Transition Between Listening to Your Tinnitus and Pushing Through It?

[nofearcavalier]

I first posted on this forum about a year ago-ish, and have been back once a month or so, to read the topics in the Support section. I wasn't looking for a cure; I was looking for a means to communicate about my condition. If there's a cure in our future, then my hunting the horizon for it (daily, weekly, whatever) isn't going to help me deal with this affliction now. I'm trying to achieve normalization of the experience, because that makes sense to me. I finished Rewiring Tinnitus, and even though I haven't made all the moves that Glenn has done in his book, I still believe he has the right idea.

The next step for me is to stop being alone with it. So, this is my second "coming out" party in these forums:

Hello, my name is John, and I want to communicate how unfairly hamstrung I feel as a result of tinnitus, and hopefully exchange forum posts here with people who are also afflicted, and maybe get some advise from people who are attempting to normalize as their primary goal.

I'm trying to find the line between focusing on my tinnitus sound and knowing when to actively try to push through it to get stuff done. The sound tends to drown out my thoughts, and because my job requires me to think creatively and continuously, it makes it difficult for me to work (requiring me to put in longer hours).

Does anyone have any experience with transitioning between listening to their tinnitus (and trying to be ok with it) and pushing through it, and what techniques do you use, what books have you read that have helped, and what has helped you through the process of normalization?

 

[MattS]

I first posted on this forum about a year ago-ish, and have been back once a month or so, to read the topics in the Support section. I wasn't looking for a cure; I was looking for a means to communicate about my condition. If there's a cure in our future, then my hunting the horizon for it (daily, weekly, whatever) isn't going to help me deal with this affliction now. I'm trying to achieve normalization of the experience, because that makes sense to me. I finished Rewiring Tinnitus, and even though I haven't made all the moves that Glenn has done in his book, I still believe he has the right idea.

The next step for me is to stop being alone with it. So, this is my second "coming out" party in these forums:

Hello, my name is John, and I want to communicate how unfairly hamstrung I feel as a result of tinnitus, and hopefully exchange forum posts here with people who are also afflicted, and maybe get some advise from people who are attempting to normalize as their primary goal.

I'm trying to find the line between focusing on my tinnitus sound and knowing when to actively try to push through it to get stuff done. The sound tends to drown out my thoughts, and because my job requires me to think creatively and continuously, it makes it difficult for me to work (requiring me to put in longer hours).

Does anyone have any experience with transitioning between listening to their tinnitus (and trying to be ok with it) and pushing through it, and what techniques do you use, what books have you read that have helped, and what has helped you through the process of normalization?

Please excuse my ignorance, but why would you ever want to 'listen to your tinnitus'?

 

[all to gain]

You've had tinnitus since 1976? So 43 years. How have you dealt with it all this time?

 

[Tybs]

Please excuse my ignorance, but why would you ever want to 'listen to your tinnitus'?

In my case, it helped me to get rid of the "fight or flight" response quickly. I'd actively listen to it for roughly ten minutes a day: one week later, I could function at work again. After the second week I quit the sessions, as it made no difference anymore. Though the sounds themselves were still annoying, they no longer installed fear, which helped me a lot to get my life back together again.

A bonus is that I'm no longer dependant on masking, as the sounds are becoming more "normal" to hear. Though of course I'd still love to have complete silence during the day

 

[Kriszti]

Replying to all to gain:

I was shutting it out in a way that I can't properly describe. I spent most of my life always working, reading, thinking and pushing myself forward. I only noticed it in those rare moments when I was distracted by stuff or right before sleep ... and then I just let it take over and kind'a fell into it.

When I began meditation a couple of years ago, I realized that I was holding this (and other things) back and "Boom" it was there, and I can't put the genie back in the bottle.

I don't know how else to describe it. Also, can someone tell me how to reply to specific comments: lol.

Every post has a "quote" option in the down right corner.

 

[nofearcavalier]

Please excuse my ignorance, but why would you ever want to 'listen to your tinnitus'?

Because I don't want to be afraid of it... it's just a sound. Glenn in his book seems to confirm this approach and it makes sense to me. I hear my air conditioner all the time, but I don't really notice it until it's off.

 

[nofearcavalier]

You've had tinnitus since 1976? So 43 years. How have you dealt with it all this time?

I was shutting it out in a way that I can't properly describe. I spent most of my life always working, reading, thinking and pushing myself forward. I only noticed it in those rare moments when I wasn't distracted by stuff or right before sleep ... and then I just let it take over and kind'a fell into it.

When I began meditation a couple of years ago, I realized that I was holding this (and other things) back and "Boom" it was there, and I can't put the genie back in the bottle.

I don't know how else to describe it. Also, can someone tell me how to reply to specific comments: lol.

 

[Seymour]

I get you man. I've always had tinnitus too but didn't care about it and then I had a spike and for some reason I started freaking out and now I can't get rid of it.