Hi
Chrissyh,
It's very normal you are still in the panic phase, because your brain does not recognize the sounds and they want you to be alert so you can fight or flight, that's where the limbic system is designed for.
I have tinnitus now for almost a year, (started May 3th. 2014), and only since two weeks my brains are no longer in panic and I no longer react emotionally to the sounds.
Still I hate T, because I 'm getting tired of it, and it's annoying and I am sad to have to live with this condition. I always loved so much silence.
But I never thought I could ever stay calm stay with that noise in my head. I thought my life was over. The first 10 month's I cried so much, I was in totall panic and very down. I could not believe anyone who said that the panic will get low and you will learn to live with it. I could not believe anyone who wrote about
habituation. I thought 'Well, everyone will habituate, but not me. I can not ever live with those sounds in my head'...
Almost one year later,.... sometimes...I feel a little, little, little bit happy and I get confidence to live with it.
I have a loud, very high-pitched sound, a hiss and rustle and crackle.
I hear it now, as I am writing. But my emotional brains are not in panic any longer.
They are kind of 'used' to it. They don't like it, but they stay calm and don't react emotional.
But for every one it is different. Some people don't react emotional in 2 month's.
Some in 2 weeks. I needed almost a year... and it is still difficult. Specially the nights... but I am using white noise on youtube.
And I am still not there.... I miss the silence, and I am sad.
But at least,... the panic has moved, ... no panic anymore.
So, I hope for you, you will get there much sooner than me.
But keep the faith, that you WILL get there, ... the point of no panic anymore. And no emotional reaction from the limbic system. I did not believe it, but now I know it's possible.
Gabriëlle (sorry for bad English, I am from the Netherlands).