16 Months with Tinnitus and I'm Doing Just Fine

I haven't posted in a while and I haven't visited this site much in the last few months. I thought I should check in to share what is new for me. I'm doing much better. It can't all be chalked up to the passage of time but that certainly has helped. I found that little coping things that I started early on have become automatic which I think has helped a lot. These include making sure to mask in those times when the T is most likely to cause stress. This includes turning on the fan in the bathroom and car as I enter and having soft masking sounds or music in the quite places like the office or the bedroom. I've gradually turned the volume down to a very low level and have found that I can choose to listen to the T or the white noise. It used to be that I had no choice and could only attend to the T. Tinnitus was the tape hiss of life for many months. We had a power failure recently in the middle of the night and my white noise went off. A few months ago this would have sent me off the deep end but now it was just a bit annoying. I have made some changes in my life that have really helped. I got a new job that allows me to have much more control over the volume of the work place and I have a couple of new hobbies that have helped to keep my mind active and engaged which many around here will tell you plays a big part in the habituation. I do have some hearing loss (20db not sure the exact frequency) and I now have custom mold ear plugs when needed, I'm not afraid to go places knowing these are in my pocket. I'm practicing mindfulness and I can now say that most of the time the T has no impact on how I go about my business. I will continue to check in from time to time as I'm really curious about some of the trials that are going on for various treatments. I'm not sure if I'd gain any further benefit but I'm still interested none the less. To all of you who have the courage to share your stories; the good the bad and the ugly, I applaud you and thank you. This is life saving stuff.

 

Thanks for sharing..I'm at 13 months, and I'm getting glimpses of what you are describing..at least I'm not afraid of the night anymore, b/c I have my under pillow speaker and rain sound machine..I listen to documentaries, or soft music, or sleep hypnosis apps and I feel like I get a break from it at these times..so not only NOT afraid of the night, I look forward to it! But I hope I can get to the point where I can confidently say I will be ok..just not there yet..but the fact that I can contemplate that I might be able to say that one day is amazing in itself!