All of this advice really brings tears to my eyes, I supposed because you all "get it"Yeah that is totally normal. There are so many different ways that people perceive tinnitus. Some people also experience it as more of an almost physical, "brain buzz" sensation rather than (or in addition to) a noise.
I think eating healthily can really help. It makes you feel better in yourself, which makes things easier to cope with.
In my experience our perception of tinnitus has a strong psychological component. If I am really happy and settled and not thinking about it too much it seems like it's lot quieter. I don't know if it's ACTUALLY quieter or if I just don't notice it as much.
Because it's a sound produced by your brain, rather than a real sound like a lawnmower or something, the attention that you give it has a DIRECT result on how you perceive it. So the more you pay attention to it the more loud and annoying it will be. The more you turn attention away from it the more the sound will fade into the background.
You won't be able to fade it out instantly, by any means. It takes people months and years. That's why in the early days you just have to distract yourself and distract yourself. Just please have faith that it will get easier in time. Your mind and body are in shock right now and still adjusting.
And if you don't feel able to distract yourself right now then don't worry. Just take a bath, or lie on your bed with some heavy blankets over you and do some deep breathing. I remember in the early days there were times when literally just taking another breath was all I could manage. So if all you can do right now is breathe then do that. Just breathe. One breath after another, over and over. Get from this minute to the next. The minutes will turn into hours and then into days, and in time you'll realise time is passing more quickly and less painfully.
And when you do have energy to do something, anything, then do it. You might have to force yourself a bit. Don't worry if it doesn't feel enjoyable. Just go through the motions. One day you'll feel joy creeping back into your life unexpectedly. But until then just get through the days. Try and do things you used to enjoy, even if they don't feel that good anymore. Trust me, it is better than wallowing, and it will help you in the long-term.
I really feel for you Tara, I know it feels terrible and world-ending right now. But the world hasn't ended. This is just a crappy, crappy time that you are going through. Remember everyone goes through crappy, crappy times in life. This is just yours. It will get better. Give yourself lots and lots of time. Be really patient with yourself and listen to your body. Just do whatever you feel like you need to do to feel a tiny bit better in this moment. That's all you have to do. It will be ok. xxxxx
I've definitely been focusing on my ears too much. All admit it. I have the TV on but I'm not really focusing. I'm going to try to focus now. I know this isn't an overnight fix.
also my ears felt super aggravated lately. Do you think it's the ENTs antihistamines? I feel like they don't really know what's wrong and just want to throw stuff at me for a "quick fix."