Hello. I've been meaning to do this for a while in the hope it may help someone else.
I'm not making out i have all the answers. Nor do i know everything about tinnitus. It's simply my story, and how i've coped with tinnitus. I's a long post. So if you want to skip my tinnitus journey, just skip to the list of the things i've done to habituate.
One day, a little over a year ago, i begun having tinnitus every hour or so. It would last around 5 minutes, then subside. I had never suffered with tinnitus before (only a few seconds every now and again), but i knew what it was.
The next day the tinnitus was constant. It was now louder, and at a high pitch. Only in my left ear. A loud high pitch whistle/screech. And that was it. I now have tinnitus.
Within a couple of days i was at the doctors. She told me it will probably go away soon. She gave me a nasal steroid spray, and that was it. The spray did nothing. And it seemed my tinnitus was here to stay. I got an appointment to ENT. Had to wait a couple of months i think. During this time i went through the usual Acoustic Neuroma worries, and joined this forum.
I was so depressed with this new noise in my life. I was breaking down, crying like a bitch. I couldnt sleep properly, enjoy playing Xbox, listening to music, watching TV or riding my bikes. I felt like my life had changed for the worse forever. And i worried i'd never be happy again. I remember thinking, if i died it wouldn't be so bad. Because life sucks anyway. I only felt that way briefly. But that's how low i was for a while
Anyway. A little over a year down the road, and my tinnitus doesn't bother me anymore. It's still as loud as ever. It's louder than everything. It's louder than cars, my motorbike, tv, music and conversation. But i'm cool with it. And i've been cool with it for about 5 months. After about 2 months of tinnitus and an ENT appointment with MRI, i began the habituation process. I'd read about habituation on this forum. But thought it was unlikely to happen to me.
I would have done anything for my tinnitus to stop. I looked into the AM101 trial. I was declined. However i can honestly say, if i had the option to undergo an operation in the hope of killing my tinnitus, i honestly wouldn't have it. I wouldn't run the risk of an unnecessary operation. I don't need it. I've habituated. And this is how i've done it. Please note i don't want to offend anyone who's struggling with tinnitus. I'm not belittling the struggle your going through. And i realize we are all different. What works for me might not be possible for you. But this is how i have habituated. This is what i did, and how my thought process worked. It was over a period of a couple of months.
1. Stop hoping tinnitus will go away. It's unlikely it's going anywhere, and neither am i. Sometimes tinnitus stops. But after a couple of weeks, it's very unlikely. Wishing it away just wastes time, and prolongs acceptance.
2. Stop feeling sorry for myself. It's time to kick myself up the ass. Stop crying and toughen up. I'm not a weak person, so stop being weak. It's time to fight this mofo.
3. This is the one that really helped. Pretend to myself and everyone else that i'm coping better with it. Keep telling myself "tinnitus sucks, but i'm dealing with it. it keeps getting easier to live with" this wasn't true at first. But after a while it helps. Lie to yourself. Pretend to yourself and everyone else. If someone asks how your coping. Don' t say "i feel miserable and desperate", say "better, i'm coping better"
4. Stop reading about tinnitus online. and ease up using forums for a while. You want to start doing things that will help take your mind of tinnitus for a while. Reading about tinnitus online and going on forums wont help this.
5. Start doing the things you enjoyed doing before tinnitus. You wont enjoy them as much straight away. But it's a process of getting back into life. Force yourself into doing your past times and hobbies. What else are you going to do anyway. Sitting in a room feeling sorry for yourself wont help neither. So get up, get out and start living. Obviously going night clubbing or beating a drum next to your ears isn't a good idea. But do something. Now's a great time to start a new hobby.
6. Stop worrying about your tinnitus getting worse or better. There's nothing you can do about it anyway. And most importantly, stop analyzing it. Who cares what it's doing. Worrying wont help. So fuck it. Let it do it's thing.
7. Don't do anything that might damage your ears further. But don't try and live in silence either. You can go to the cinema, but try using good quality ear plugs. Ride your motorbike, but use earplugs, Go clubbing but use earplugs. Listen to your headphones, but keep the volume at a safe level. Keep doing the things you love, but don't be stupid.
8. Repeat, repeat, repeat.
To most this might seem like a load of rubbish. But my hope is that some will find it some help.
If you are the type of person who moans about life, and forever feels sorry for yourself, perhaps you'll never habituate. But if you are a generally positive and strong person, then it's time to put that positivity and strength into practice. And start beating this thing.
Good luck. And if any questions, please ask.
This forum was a great help to me in the early months. And continues to be.
This is why i wanted to share with people how i've coped and
Habituated.
Thanks, Bob.
I'm not making out i have all the answers. Nor do i know everything about tinnitus. It's simply my story, and how i've coped with tinnitus. I's a long post. So if you want to skip my tinnitus journey, just skip to the list of the things i've done to habituate.
One day, a little over a year ago, i begun having tinnitus every hour or so. It would last around 5 minutes, then subside. I had never suffered with tinnitus before (only a few seconds every now and again), but i knew what it was.
The next day the tinnitus was constant. It was now louder, and at a high pitch. Only in my left ear. A loud high pitch whistle/screech. And that was it. I now have tinnitus.
Within a couple of days i was at the doctors. She told me it will probably go away soon. She gave me a nasal steroid spray, and that was it. The spray did nothing. And it seemed my tinnitus was here to stay. I got an appointment to ENT. Had to wait a couple of months i think. During this time i went through the usual Acoustic Neuroma worries, and joined this forum.
I was so depressed with this new noise in my life. I was breaking down, crying like a bitch. I couldnt sleep properly, enjoy playing Xbox, listening to music, watching TV or riding my bikes. I felt like my life had changed for the worse forever. And i worried i'd never be happy again. I remember thinking, if i died it wouldn't be so bad. Because life sucks anyway. I only felt that way briefly. But that's how low i was for a while
Anyway. A little over a year down the road, and my tinnitus doesn't bother me anymore. It's still as loud as ever. It's louder than everything. It's louder than cars, my motorbike, tv, music and conversation. But i'm cool with it. And i've been cool with it for about 5 months. After about 2 months of tinnitus and an ENT appointment with MRI, i began the habituation process. I'd read about habituation on this forum. But thought it was unlikely to happen to me.
I would have done anything for my tinnitus to stop. I looked into the AM101 trial. I was declined. However i can honestly say, if i had the option to undergo an operation in the hope of killing my tinnitus, i honestly wouldn't have it. I wouldn't run the risk of an unnecessary operation. I don't need it. I've habituated. And this is how i've done it. Please note i don't want to offend anyone who's struggling with tinnitus. I'm not belittling the struggle your going through. And i realize we are all different. What works for me might not be possible for you. But this is how i have habituated. This is what i did, and how my thought process worked. It was over a period of a couple of months.
1. Stop hoping tinnitus will go away. It's unlikely it's going anywhere, and neither am i. Sometimes tinnitus stops. But after a couple of weeks, it's very unlikely. Wishing it away just wastes time, and prolongs acceptance.
2. Stop feeling sorry for myself. It's time to kick myself up the ass. Stop crying and toughen up. I'm not a weak person, so stop being weak. It's time to fight this mofo.
3. This is the one that really helped. Pretend to myself and everyone else that i'm coping better with it. Keep telling myself "tinnitus sucks, but i'm dealing with it. it keeps getting easier to live with" this wasn't true at first. But after a while it helps. Lie to yourself. Pretend to yourself and everyone else. If someone asks how your coping. Don' t say "i feel miserable and desperate", say "better, i'm coping better"
4. Stop reading about tinnitus online. and ease up using forums for a while. You want to start doing things that will help take your mind of tinnitus for a while. Reading about tinnitus online and going on forums wont help this.
5. Start doing the things you enjoyed doing before tinnitus. You wont enjoy them as much straight away. But it's a process of getting back into life. Force yourself into doing your past times and hobbies. What else are you going to do anyway. Sitting in a room feeling sorry for yourself wont help neither. So get up, get out and start living. Obviously going night clubbing or beating a drum next to your ears isn't a good idea. But do something. Now's a great time to start a new hobby.
6. Stop worrying about your tinnitus getting worse or better. There's nothing you can do about it anyway. And most importantly, stop analyzing it. Who cares what it's doing. Worrying wont help. So fuck it. Let it do it's thing.
7. Don't do anything that might damage your ears further. But don't try and live in silence either. You can go to the cinema, but try using good quality ear plugs. Ride your motorbike, but use earplugs, Go clubbing but use earplugs. Listen to your headphones, but keep the volume at a safe level. Keep doing the things you love, but don't be stupid.
8. Repeat, repeat, repeat.
To most this might seem like a load of rubbish. But my hope is that some will find it some help.
If you are the type of person who moans about life, and forever feels sorry for yourself, perhaps you'll never habituate. But if you are a generally positive and strong person, then it's time to put that positivity and strength into practice. And start beating this thing.
Good luck. And if any questions, please ask.
This forum was a great help to me in the early months. And continues to be.
This is why i wanted to share with people how i've coped and
Habituated.
Thanks, Bob.
Member
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