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Recent content by MindOverMatter

  1. MindOverMatter

    Caffeine is, as you know, a stimulant - especially in higher doses. I still drink coffee, but...

    Caffeine is, as you know, a stimulant - especially in higher doses. I still drink coffee, but max two small cups before midday. After noon I drink only decaf. I would consider cut down on the amount if you consume a lot.
  2. MindOverMatter

    Is It Safe to Go to Movie Theaters If You Have Noise-Induced Tinnitus?

    There is no definite right or wrong with this. I used to go to movie theaters for about ten to fifteen years after I first got tinnitus, and I had no issues whatsoever. If you ask me today, I would not go. If you feel comfortable with it and do not have problems with the sound levels, you could...
  3. MindOverMatter

    Reactive Tinnitus, Hyperacusis, and Noxacusis: Staying Below Sound Tolerance Is Key

    I am putting myself out here again, and of course people are fully entitled to have different opinions, and many will. But in my view, and from my personal experience, there is no danger in letting it react. In fact, at some point you need to expose yourself to things like wind and rain simply...
  4. MindOverMatter

    Pregnant & Scared with Reactive Tinnitus — Your Help Requested

    What do you mean by “quiet environment”? Do you mean sitting in complete silence? I don’t agree with that. I’ve had reactive tinnitus for about six years now, and I am in a much better place. I’ve had counseling on and off since 2020, more than 25 sessions in total, though very rarely now. My...
  5. MindOverMatter

    Is My Experience with Amplified and Doubled Noises from Dysacusis, Hyperacusis, or Something Else?

    Sure. This sounds a lot like how I was for a long time. I can still have bad periods where this may show up in some form, even six years down the road, but most of the time I’m good. Even in those periods, when I get those “Morse code” sounds or whatever you may call them on top of other...
  6. MindOverMatter

    How a Furnace Gave Me Severe Tinnitus and What the Last 7 Months Have Been Like

    There is a distinct difference between chronic and permanent. “Chronic” refers to a condition with long-lasting duration, while “permanent” implies it will last forever or cannot be reversed. Who used the term permanent? As I told you earlier, there are numerous success stories, both here and...
  7. MindOverMatter

    Seven Months with Sound-Induced Tinnitus: Is Anyone Seeing Improvements or Finding Hope?

    Exactly my point, many of us adapt and habituate. That is the nature of neuroplasticity, creating new neural pathways. I hope you get silence, as you wish for. Do not get me wrong. But being a perfectionist with tinnitus is not necessarily a good thing. It may lead to disappointments and make...
  8. MindOverMatter

    Seven Months with Sound-Induced Tinnitus: Is Anyone Seeing Improvements or Finding Hope?

    Sorry to hear you are having a difficult day with it. Healing is not linear, and there will always be harder days along the way. That is normal and human. After more than 20 years with tinnitus, I have been through countless ups and downs. I am not sure how much of my writing you have come...
  9. MindOverMatter

    Seven Months with Sound-Induced Tinnitus: Is Anyone Seeing Improvements or Finding Hope?

    I understand you, but I believe you might be doing yourself a big favor that could actually interfere with healing in the long run. Acceptance is the first step in recovery. Something like this was bound to happen at some point anyway. These things are part of living a normal life in the...
  10. MindOverMatter

    Pregnant & Scared with Reactive Tinnitus — Your Help Requested

    Unfortunately, this is the nature of tinnitus, and yes, I have experienced many such accidents. Usually, a spike after an incident like this can last anywhere from a few days to two or three weeks. You have to remind yourself that these things happen and are often unavoidable. Stopping life is...
  11. MindOverMatter

    Seven Months with Sound-Induced Tinnitus: Is Anyone Seeing Improvements or Finding Hope?

    Who said your ears were done? If the tinnitus is only just noticeable, you really shouldn’t be worrying about it in my opinion. That shows how differently we are set up as individuals. To me, this sounds like a level of tinnitus that shouldn’t be bothersome where you are now, but for you it...
  12. MindOverMatter

    Seven Months with Sound-Induced Tinnitus: Is Anyone Seeing Improvements or Finding Hope?

    Great news! Fading through habituation is real. If you are at a level of 1–2 out of 10 by now, that is very mild tinnitus, and it should become non-bothersome soon as it fades into the background. The way you described it earlier seemed quite a bit more intrusive. Mild tinnitus usually makes...
  13. MindOverMatter

    15 Months of Tinnitus with No Improvement, Except for Occasional Good Days in a Row

    Stay off those boards, or wherever you’re reading those stories, whether it’s here or somewhere else. You said it yourself: your mood doesn’t improve when you read them. I’d say it actually has the opposite effect. Make sure you’re getting enough auditory input during the day and not staying in...
  14. MindOverMatter

    Very common with delayed spikes after sickness like the flu, sinus infection and such - at least...

    Very common with delayed spikes after sickness like the flu, sinus infection and such - at least in my own experience. Feel better soon 🤞
  15. MindOverMatter

    How to Manage Reactive Tinnitus Setback?

    Given your current mental state, judging from what you write, that is definitely the correct decision for now. My advice would be to seek professional help sooner rather than later. Are there any counselors in your area who specialize in tinnitus, hyperacusis, CBT, or similar approaches?