Has There Been a Day Where You Didn't Think About Tinnitus Since You Developed It?

This isn't intended to be a negative post, just curiosity.

Does anyone have days where they do NOT think about Tinnitus even once? Since developing it almost a year ago, I can safely say that, although I do not really care about my T anymore, there hasn't been one day where I haven't thought about it in some way (even on the good days).

Interested to hear your responses

 

It doesn't happen a whole lot, but, yes.

 

I think a corollary here is -- think of any benign, business-as-usual piece of sensory input. Think of the sensations you're feeling right now on the bottom of your right foot. You might not have thought of that in a really deep, significant way until I just brought it up, but it seems pretty unlikely to me that you ever go a full day without putting some small amount of consciousness into analyzing that input. On the other hand, unless you have a problem with your foot, you're unlikely to dwell on that sensation for more than a split second.

I guess what I am suggesting, is that "literally not thinking at all about the tinnitus signal" is probably a pretty unreasonably high bar, because so much of the machinery of the mind is built around analyzing sensory inputs and processing them. So, a better question might be, "have you had a day where you didn't dwell on, and were not driven to distraction, by tinnitus". Being completely, totally unaware of any sensory input for an entire day, to me implies a sort of unhealthy degree of being out of touch with material reality.

Just my two cents.

 

I can't remember at this point if I've had a day when I didn't think about t at all. I imagine I think about it every day in the context of "this room is quiet enough, oh there is," and then I go back to whatever activity I was engaged in. But as the poster said, it's not a bad thing, it just is.

 

Agree with this point as well--although yesterday was actually a day when I "thought" about my tinnitus but also didn't notice it. So it can work both ways.

The important step to me is not feeling "anxious" about it and I am fortunate to be at a point where I don't feel anxious about it at all on a day-to-day basis.

 

I keep my self busy that way I don't think about my tinnitus the only time I think about my tinnitus is when i go to bed I just put on my head phones listen to music until I fall asleep.

 

I agree completely with this statement.

 

I think that is the most important point to be made here. One can think about tinnitus day to day, but it becomes less and less of a problem when you do not get stressed, anxious or depressed about it. Difficult to do for sure!

 

That is a good point too--over the past eight months I have gotten better at keeping myself busy as a way of not thinking about my tinnitus. It has actually resulted in higher job satisfaction for me which is great!

 

It started in January and not a day has go.ne by since then that I don't think about it.

 

I don't even know if this is possible. Once I wake up my attention goes immediately to T. I check if it is there and move on. I think it might be because everyday I hope that some day this nightmare is over and in the morning is the best time to check if this is a case.
I personally cannot believe that someone wit tinnitus could wake up and did not notice it.
@Dr. Nagler , can trt retrain the brain to fake it that there is no t or it just changes reaction to it and t is still there in the morning and noticeable but acceptable?

 

It is a lot about loudness. Yesterday I had a very seldom mild day. My T is very high-pitched (> 15 kHz), so nothing covers it. But loudness was low yesterday. So compared to the other days, it felt like a huge relief and I would believe that habituation is possible. Then I think that after I while I would care less and less (although I would agree that even to a mild T you can have a strong reaction).

But if it is loud (like today and most days), it is a buzzing head combined with a dentist drill. There is no way to not think about this for a whole day. Even not thinking about it for an hour would be difficult. I try to go on and struggle through my day, doing what I would do without T. It works more or less, but "not thinking" about it is not possible if you can hear it everywhere and anytime.

 

I also think that it is not possible NOT to think about tinnitus, because sounds to the brain are made for response (so that you can fight or flight and react to it).

It's more than a year since the onset of my T (May. 3th. 2014) and there is no day I have not been thinking about it. I am 'lucky' that once in a week (since the onset), the T stops for hours and it is 100% silence, no sounds at all.
But even thén I think of T, because then I think 'Wow.... I don't hear my T... I wish it could always be this silence'.

When I have such a quiet hours and go to bed in 100% silence, the next morning, as every morning, the sounds are back. I think my brain do 'something' while I am asleep, because it's always back after sleep. Also when I take a little nap.

But, as said above, NOT thinking about T is not possible I think, at least, not with my volume (very high pitched, and also wild wave-sounds and also morse-code), so my brains are always 'telling' me: "Watch out, take care, here are some sounds...". And also on the 'good' days... I've been thinking every day of T. My brains does not let forget me I have T.

The first year many panic attacks, because the brain does not know what he is hearing and try's to warn you.
Luckely my panic and anxiety are gone. But not my sadness, the missing of silence, and I am so tired every day of the sounds.

Tinnitus does take 35% of your energy, I red. And yes, I have less of enery since T and poor concentration too.

Sorry for bad English.

Gabriëlle

 

It is possible to wake up and not notice your T. I think it depends on how people experience it and how nervous it makes them - especially that "checking to see if it's there." At one point it was the first thing I thought of and looked for every day - wanting to see if it was gone, but now I may not notice it at all in the morning - workday or weekend. I think that just comes with time.

Not saying this is everyone's experience (I can only speak for my own T) and I do notice it at other times, but it's not my first morning thought anymore. Just wanted to note that it's a possibility that's out there!

 

More often than not I am totally unaware of mine upon waking in the morning (unless I purposely seek it, which I do not do ... because why would I??!!)

Well, as I see it TRT doesn't retrain the brain to "fake" anything - but that important distinction aside, when one has largely habituated one's tinnitus, there are two possible scenarios:

• One wakes up and is unaware of one's tinnitus (unless one purposely checks), and at some point later in the day one might become aware of it from time to time but is not particularly bothered by it.
• One wakes up aware of one's tinnitus and then shortly thereafter becomes unaware of it, and at some point later in the day one might become aware of it again from time to time but is not particularly bothered by it.

The takeaway point is that either way, since the tinnitus is not bothersome (i.e., since one does not react to it), what difference does it make?

 

Unbelievable.

Yesterday, I had "only" a buzzing head and I could distract myself from T. Felt like relief and I would have taken that T forever. Today, loud and ultra-high, not even masked by the shower. Really difficult getting unaware of this.
Of course I work on my reaction and it becomes better. But this catastrophic T is a beast turning my tension to the roof.

 

I guess for you it does not make any difference as you are not bothered by it.
I cannot comprehend the fact that one can wake up and don't notice it.
Yes, I understand that you can notice it but be happy and not react to it, but not notice at all?
For me is same day everyday. I wake up and I rest for for few minutes trying to get ready for new day. No matter how many great things I have planned I always notice high pitch tone while thinking about what is on the plate for today. I say to my self "I can hear you but I believe it wont last forever, good buy" and I continue my daily routine. During the day, especially when I am in quiet places, I notice T and repeat to myself "this is temporary and soon it will be over" and the days go on. Maybe I am just too selfish and care too much about my health. I regret the past and I wish I could go back and fix my mistakes especially when it comes to listening music at somehow wrong levels. I wish I would know. The hardest part is to accept that crap and move on.

 

Well, if it didn't make a difference at all, I wouldn't care one way or another if I had it. And that's not exactly the case because given a choice I most assuredly would prefer not to have it.

Well that's exactly how it is for me, which is why I will be forever grateful to Dr. Jastreboff and TRT.

When you wake up in the morning, you generally don't notice the bed you are in. You sometimes do, but usually you don't. Same with me and tinnitus.

That's because your tinnitus is still driving your bus.

That's because your tinnitus is driving your bus.

I say this with seriously, humbly, and with all due respect. If you are truly dissatisfied with how things are for you, then perhaps you should consider doing something about it.

 

That's is huge accomplishment.

That make sense. If i would feel like thatthen it would be just random tinnitus I assume.

Yes, at this point it is somehow the bus driver. I am kind of ready to let it go, but something inside me wants me to fight with it as I believe there must be another way.

I am with you. I am trying my best and doing things (anecdotal evidence or just common sense) that I believe might help me. Yes, there was a time when I though about TRT but that was when I was not aware of the slight hearing loss I have. At that time reading about TRT was making complete sense as I though all was in the brain. Realizing that I have some hearing loss turned me down and I started to search for magic solution. I know how stupid of me it must be to look for something that might not exist but the search gives me hope.

 

@AlecP, no offense but obviously you have it very **mild**. I wish I had to consciously think about my T in order to notice it.

Stress, anxiety or depression isn't the main problem of T.

 

That "something" inside you is called your autonomic nervous system. It's your brain doing exactly what it is supposed to do, which is to constantly monitor the guest from hell that has taken up residency in your head.

Sorry, perhaps I am missing something here. I'm not saying you should do TRT, but what does doing TRT have to do with giving up hope?

 

Hi Ninyu, interesting post. What do you think is the real problem of T?

Regards.

 

Some day that guest will have to leave i hope.

Nothing, both are separate things and can be worked on its own.
Agreed, you never told me to do it. I mentioned it.

 

@NiNyu I never actually said I needed to consciously think about T to hear it. I hear it every day, sometimes it's easy to mask and sometimes it's so loud there's nothing I can do to avoid it. The difference between now and a year ago is that I simply don't care about it as much and subsequently don't react as negatively when it gets bad.

In my own experience stress and anxiety trigger bad days or weeks and whenever I'm relaxed and chilled out I can go sometimes a fortnight without any bad days.

In fairness though, if my T stayed at a low level consistently then my anxiety and stress would not increase and vice versa...it's a vicious circle as I'm sure most would agree. Interested to hear your view on it

 

Not. one. single. day. Many years ago I had a toothache that persisted for over 2 weeks until I could get it treated at the dentist. I sure noticed the pain every day. Tinnitus is like that toothache, except it's been persisting for over a year and no one has a definitive treatment for it.

 

I haven't had Tinnitus nearly anywhere near as long as some members on this board and there hasn't been a day since the journey started that I haven't thought about my tinnitus.

However

There have been many many days where my tinnitus just hasn't bothered me. These days are more the norm for me now, and I think that's the hurdle a lot of members on here seem to struggle to get over.

It would be nice to have a day I didn't think it, sure. However I just don't see it as important anymore.

 

@AlecP, thinking usually is a conscious process so when you ask the question, 'Has there been a day where you didn't think about T' that would imply that you either hardly hear it or being unconscious. Seriously, if you had **killer reactive T** you wouldn't ask such question. It's like getting stabbed in the back with a knife and someone asks, 'Does it hurt?'

Again, no offense just being honest here.

Moreover, if T was all about emotional reaction then becoming a vegetable should resolve T instantaneously.


@JohnnyMx, the real problem of T is that it destroys your sanity. How are you supposed to enjoy anything when something is screaming 24/7 beyond sanity in your ear(s)/head?

Worse, there is no real treatment nor awareness. We are not taken seriously by those that don't have it. Heck, even some that have it mild don't take us (debilitating T) seriously.

Take me for example, I'm not depressed or anxious but completely pissed off and suicidal cos T interferes with everything in life. For instance, I cannot sit in a freaking cafe and have a normal conversation. My T gets so loud and irritated I can't understand speech anymore. And in those moments all I want is to die; right there on the spot.

 

Unfortunately I think about it daily hard to ignore when you can feel it.

 

@Dr. Nagler is saying: More often than not I am totally unaware of mine upon waking in the morning (unless I purposely seek it, which I do not do ... because why would I??!!)

Well, I think you are a lucky guy Dr. Nagler... I don't have to seek my T.
It's there, every morning I wake up. Very LOUD.
I don't have to seek for it.

And it's not because of T is driving my buss... I have some (a lot) other things to do.