Need Advice for What I Call "Stage 2" of Habituation Process

[JasonP]

As some of you know, I have bipolar II so my moods fluctuate some and it's hard to tell when I'm really well.

I do however think I finally achieved some kind of "breakthrough" lately, where I don't get crushed to an extreme when the tinnitus is loud.

However, because of the havoc it has wreaked on my life in the past 4 years it is something that I think about daily.

When I do, it doesn't bring up pleasant emotions but it doesn't crush my soul (at least so far since the breakthrough - I guess time will tell).

What are some mental thoughts I can tell myself to stop focusing on the T sometimes or to get it out of my mind more? Thanks for any help.

 

[Michael B]

Jason, being distracted and being outdoors works for me. It's the evenings and being inside that's the worst for me.

 

[Watasha]

As some of you know, I have bipolar II so my moods fluctuate some and it's hard to tell when I'm really well.

I do however think I finally achieved some kind of "breakthrough" lately, where I don't get crushed to an extreme when the tinnitus is loud.

However, because of the havoc it has wreaked on my life in the past 4 years it is something that I think about daily.

When I do, it doesn't bring up pleasant emotions but it doesn't crush my soul (at least so far since the breakthrough - I guess time will tell).

What are some mental thoughts I can tell myself to stop focusing on the T sometimes or to get it out of my mind more? Thanks for any help.

Habituation is a natural process. My best understanding is don't "try" to do anything other than live your life. If you find yourself focusing on it, don't say to yourself "don't focus on it", recognize it and move back to whatever it was your are doing. We have to give it time and try to not attend to it anymore than is necessary and let nature run its course. Set ourselves up for the future best we can when they come out with a treatment.

 

[Hotspur2931]

Hi Jason,

Sounds like you're in a similar headspace to me. I only rarely feel crushing panic these days, but I think about it many times an hour, whether I hear it or not.

I think if I could break this habit it would make a HUGE difference. Some things I am trying:

Everything from the Back to Silence method. I.e. don't check for T, don't measure T, don't monitor T. This is really hard because I do it subconsciously, but every time I catch myself I stop. I trust that it will get easier with practice.

Distract distract distract. Do absorbing things that really consume your attention. For me cooking interesting recipes is a good one because I love food, the time goes by quickly, and all the kitchen noises mask the T as long as I keep busy. I can't cook every minute of every day but I think of those times as "respite" during which I get a break from worrying about T, and more importantly teach my brain that there is more to life than T.

Under Back to Silence, you're not supposed to think about or look for T unless it actively intrudes on your awareness. At which point you say "I hear T, I feel ..." Problem is it pops into my thoughts all the damn time, whether I hear it or not. So I've formulated a new thought for those moments. I say to myself "IF I hear it, I will know how to respond." I also sometimes do the second part of the "I hear... I feel..." response by just noting my feelings. I just say to myself "I feel anxious" and just try to allow that feeling and focus on it. This distracts attention away from the T.

Also I think that the early period of tinnitus is a trauma that it takes TIME to heal from. I honestly believe that with time I will naturally stop obsessing, as will you. I hope this doesn't sound like I'm trivialising, but I often compare it to a breakup. There was a time when my ex was on my mind every second of every day. For various reasons it ruled my thoughts for a LONG time. The only thing that helped was TIME and filling my life with other things. I couldn't imagine getting over it until it happened. I trust that that will happen with T one day.