Recent content by MindOverMatter

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?

My guess is that this is temporary, as we are talking about a high dose for one day rather than over time. Time will tell. Give it another two to six weeks, and try not to think the worst. I believe there is a good chance it will calm down to baseline again.

100%. I totally agree with most of what you write here, but I am confused about what you mean by healing. Most people who develop bothersome tinnitus, and go beyond the six-month mark or more, usually will not become completely tinnitus free. The majority will still have tinnitus, and they will...

That is correct. Only you will know. When I said tinnitus is complex, as there are many components that come into play, I was talking about individuality. No two people are the same, and we handle and cope with things differently as well. I was not referring to complexity in terms of how your...

My guess is that the most likely explanation would be number three: spasms of the middle ear muscles, typically aggravated by high levels of stress and anxiety. I’ve had bouts of this several times, lasting up to six months at the worst. It has always resolved with time, along with reducing...

Well, no. That is not what I am saying. There is no magic bullet you might be hoping for to stop it. After the six-month mark, the chances of it disappearing altogether are very slim, in my opinion. However, if you habituate, you are not bothered by it most of the time. That is a win...

Yes, I do think time matters with this. Time, but definitely also mindset, in terms of how you react to the reactivity. The longer you try to fight it, the longer it will stay with you, with many negative emotions attached to it.

Tinnitus is considered chronic, by most, after the six-month mark. But that does not mean you cannot overcome this. You ask many questions here that not even experts in the field can answer, especially all the “why” questions. Why me? Tinnitus is complex, and many individual factors come into...

Let me rephrase that a bit. Improvement by habituation is the most likely outcome, meaning your tinnitus will become pretty much non-bothersome again. That may very well happen down the road. The perceived volume can be turned down by your brain as it processes it. All the “whys and what ifs”...

Sorry to hear about this. I know the place. It’s not easy to get back, but it is doable. Another good example is @Sonia554, related to what I mentioned before. Even though your hearing test is coming back fine, the auditory system is compromised in one way or another. So even if you improve a...

I don’t know what the initial cause was back in 2004, but most likely it was an accumulation over time that was finally triggered by stress or something else happening during that period. There was no particular incident. The worsening in late 2019 was due to high sound exposure. It has...

The thing is, it does feel lonely at times, but if you start opening up to people about it, you’ll discover how common it really is—especially after the kind of situation you mentioned. I think it’s important to understand that it’s usually not just one single thing that caused it. What you...

My best advice to you, if you want to focus only on the “getting better part,” is to stay clear of the stories you seem to come across most often. The more you read the “worst off” stories, the more you will suffer, in my opinion. You can ask any counselor or therapist who works with this, and...

Hope you’re doing well, mate! It seems like you’re in a better place these days 👍 You’re absolutely right that small things, like adding perspective and not giving this condition so much space in our lives, can make a big difference. @Paulie87, it takes a lot of practice and inner strength to...