Stophiss, I appreciate your response. Though I still believe that an approach of focusing on the sound (in any capacity) is far less common than other approaches, if only because it's so counterintuitive.
And I do know that many people habituate naturally over time. The problem is that so many don't. In my opinion, the real issue with tinnitus is the way we react to the sound emotionally, physically, and psychologically. The reason we can't ignore it or tune it out when it's bothering us isn't because we haven't accepted it, but because it's impossible to tune out a sound that our brain interprets as something dangerous or threatening. We're evolutionarily hardwired to hone in on sounds that imply danger. Unfortunately, our brains also can't tell the difference between a perceived threat like tinnitus (or public speaking to give another example) and real danger, so the reaction is the same. We have a stress response, and it doesn't end because the tinnitus doesn't go away.
But we can change the way we react to the sound. It's the one thing I feel we actually have control over. And when tinnitus is used as the focal point of meditation, the brain begins to associate the noise with the feelings of calm and relaxation, overwriting our previous association. But as you said, many people do know about this strategy, or similar ones.
Joseph, I'm going to have to respectfully disagree. Until there is a cure, or even a reliable way to reduce the noise, habituation is the only option we have. It doesn't mean that your tinnitus goes away. I still hear mine, and it still spikes and get's very loud at times, but it doesn't bother me anymore or intrude on my quality of life. That's what it's like to habituate for many people.
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