Is Rehabituation Normal?

[CompostInTraining]

So about 2 months ago I had an anxiety induced spike that spiraled out of control. My previously minor tinnitus of 8 years became an unrelenting 24/7 nightmare. I let it control my life. A few weeks ago I got a grip and essentially faked it until I made it.

Today I'm doing better. My tinnitus is still pretty much 24/7 but I go periods where I forget about it. Some days are worse (today), some days it's better.

My question(s) is… am I just going through rehabituation? In a few more weeks/months will I just go back to where I was or is this likely my new normal? Is anxiety able to do this?

Could use some words of encouragement or similar stories. Can't seem to find anyone else with something similar happen.

 

[Wrfortiscue]

Fake it til you make it can eventually work. Distract yourself, be positive and protect the ears. Will take a long time.

 

[Stacken77]

It happens.

The fact of the matter is that habituation is a house of cards, ready to fall apart at any moment. A spike can set you back to square one, since you're not used to the level. So I think we'll go through several iterations of "rehabituation".

But if we can, the only remedy to this is to just keep going, and rehabituate. We should probably try to avoid that which spikes us, especially if it's due to sound.

All the best,
Stacken

 

[GeorgeLG]

Short answer, yes, anxiety can make this worse.

We are all different so no one approach or outcome fits us all. Spikes come and spikes go, mostly returning to whatever baseline is. If baseline eventually goes to zero, great. If not that's OK too. Our emotions towards our tinnitus has a great deal to do with how it effects (or doesn't effect) us. I think that for many, it can be such that it does not matter if the sound actually goes completely away. You can let it go and ignore it.

My research suggests that the process and its effect on us is very similar to a chronic pain model where training your thoughts to be less fearful and to get out of Defcon 5 fight or flight mode will bring you relief. My brother in law has had tinnitus for 30 years and calls it his old friend. He has led a normal life the whole time. He was lucky that his personality is kind of a "hey, whatever" attitude towards these things so he never latched on in a fear state and started the runaway positive feedback loop that can lock us into suffering. Measuring, comparing, looking for it, assigning numbers, reading horrible stories, fearing what could happen, consumed with what ifs ... Those thoughts and emotions keep us from getting better. Acknowledging it, not fearing it, observing not obsessing, observe your emotions about it, don't fear what's next, starts to take its power away. Another approach has us look at repressed emotions and the distraction provided by pain/tinnitus.

There are a number of techniques to bring relief, all address how our emotions react to tinnitus or may have caused it. Somatic tracking, mindfulness, CBT, Back to Silence, TMS healing ...

I have been helped by these techniques tremendously. I am having my biggest test yet this week because of a medicine induced spike so I am applying the techniques to calm everything down and take away its power.

All the best,
George

 

[CompostInTraining]

Short answer, yes, anxiety can make this worse.

We are all different so no one approach or outcome fits us all. Spikes come and spikes go, mostly returning to whatever baseline is. If baseline eventually goes to zero, great. If not that's OK too. Our emotions towards our tinnitus has a great deal to do with how it effects (or doesn't effect) us. I think that for many, it can be such that it does not matter if the sound actually goes completely away. You can let it go and ignore it.

My research suggests that the process and its effect on us is very similar to a chronic pain model where training your thoughts to be less fearful and to get out of Defcon 5 fight or flight mode will bring you relief. My brother in law has had tinnitus for 30 years and calls it his old friend. He has led a normal life the whole time. He was lucky that his personality is kind of a "hey, whatever" attitude towards these things so he never latched on in a fear state and started the runaway positive feedback loop that can lock us into suffering. Measuring, comparing, looking for it, assigning numbers, reading horrible stories, fearing what could happen, consumed with what ifs ... Those thoughts and emotions keep us from getting better. Acknowledging it, not fearing it, observing not obsessing, observe your emotions about it, don't fear what's next, starts to take its power away. Another approach has us look at repressed emotions and the distraction provided by pain/tinnitus.

There are a number of techniques to bring relief, all address how our emotions react to tinnitus or may have caused it. Somatic tracking, mindfulness, CBT, Back to Silence, TMS healing ...

I have been helped by these techniques tremendously. I am having my biggest test yet this week because of a medicine induced spike so I am applying the techniques to calm everything down and take away its power.

All the best,
George

Thank you. This was what I needed to read I think. I'm having a hard time letting the emotions go. Even when I think I'm doing well they're still waiting beneath the surface for me. I appreciate your response.

 

[MindOverMatter]

We are all different so no one approach or outcome fits us all. Spikes come and spikes go, mostly returning to whatever baseline is. If baseline eventually goes to zero, great. If not that's OK too. Our emotions towards our tinnitus has a great deal to do with how it effects (or doesn't effect) us. I think that for many, it can be such that it does not matter if the sound actually goes completely away. You can let it go and ignore it.

Well put, there is a lot of truth in this. How one perceive it, and react to the situation, is a major component on our ability to deal with tinnitus and the likes.