True. I have already habituated once. But, with two recent spikes. It's all came back with a vengence. The problem is. This new constant changing tinnitus is a lot harder to mask. So, It's staying on my mind a lot more than my old hissing sound.
I've habituated 3 times. Not sure if I should count the first time, however, because it was when I was 19 and it was mild tinnitus heard in quietish areas. After a career playing in live bands, and attending live gigs and clubs, at 32 (after a really loud gig) my ears had gone past the tipping point. What I ended up with was MUCH MUCH worse, and I can relate to what you're describing. However, I became extremely distressed by it which drove me to obsession. And it's my belief that this obsession drove my distress which further drove the obsession, etc. A vicious cycle.
When our emotions get caught up in it it becomes a very different animal. Instead of our brain ignoring it, it shines a spotlight on it instead, and keeps nudging us to remind us that it's irritating. Certain behaviours can be bad for tinnitus, and unfortunately, most of them are hardwired and very difficult to change. However, it's not impossible. Certain actions that we can adopt, but don't serve a beneficial purpose (such as overprotecting our ears), can end up making us feel worse as we further prioritise the noise. This creates an unnecessary fear which can trigger all the same emotions, and stress, that may have made you obsessed in the first place. This obsessive behaviour can feed tinnitus and make it all too important. Break these negative patterns and protect your ears around real noise and in time you will move past it.
The third time I habituated was very recently after an MRI. It gave me a new tone in my left ear which is still there, but my previous experience taught me a vital lesson. I strongly believe that is why I rehabituated relatively quickly. I tried to cut the negative emotional response by forcing myself to get out of my own headspace. It's extremely difficult to do, but after a lifetime of miserable events, I'm quite well adapted. This is also the reason why CBT, mindfulness, yoga etc, are often recommended.
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