When I first got tinnitus, I went over to the American Tinnitus Association to pick up some brochures, as Portland just happened to be where I got it. The words that stood out were "Tinnitus is not treatable, and it is permanent", or words to that effect. They may have changed that since then. Reading that really floored me! At the time mine was very, very loud. I had to "sleep" w/ a radio in the bed right by my head w/ the volume turned up nearly to the top.
Weeks later, an accidental walk over a low bridge that had a stream rushing under it also floored me... I didn't hear my tinnitus for the first time since getting it! So non-treatable and permanent, no big deal. There are workarounds, there are things that make it worse or better, there is finding masking sounds that really help, my tinnitus can almost disappear or come back very loud. It's OK, life goes on. Swimming, doing art or photography, listening to music, having good conversation w/ others, watching a good movie, riding my eBike... I don't hear it at all doing these things.
Idle hands are my tinnitus's workshop.
