Another Newbie Freaking Out — I Don't Even Know If I Have It

Hi everyone,
I have somehow joined club that I never knew existed and was wondering if I can get your opinion.

1. I have been listening to the suffering of my friend's tinnitus for a few months, which has caused me to fear this "tinnitus" thing.
2. I read somewhere everyone has some level of it which freaked me out of course.
3. That night before going to bed, I started to "search" for it in my head. After looking for around 2-3 minutes and I came across something that I remember perceiving during total silence in the past. Now, I thought "is this even a sound?" "It kind of seems like a sound... it's not coming from the ear.... It does seem high pitch but the volume is very low. I don't think it is invasive because all my life this noise blended in so well with the background noise. Is this what they call... TINNITUS?" At this point, all the fear that has conditioned me about tinnitus from my friend triggered a fight/flight response and I started to feel fear.
4. Then, as I concentrate, it gets louder and louder.
5. This was two nights ago. Last night, it got even louder.

At first, I could only hear it in total silence and after I had to concentrate in isolating the "sound".
During the day, outside of the room, in the office, walking on the road, and in the lounge - all these places I can't hear. Sometimes, if I concentrate hard enough, even in quiet rooms, I can last for some time without hearing it.

Now, as I get better at isolating it and my obsessive personality is always trying to look for it wherever I go. Even now as I type, I never heard it before at my office and now I can!! (although it disappeared a minute later)

So I guess my question is:
(1) Is mine even tinnitus? I can hear it in a quiet room but normally after I have Searched for it and once I search for it, I cant not hear it and it is very loud. Plus, I didnt start hearing something new. I just perceived what always was there my whole life for the first time!
(2) I can't hear it over ambient noise most of the time (especially if I am not trying to look for it) as it blends in with the background noise really well (intuitively, it seems like I have always had this but never noticed). But once I find it, it is loud. A good analogy is when someone shows you a camouflage picture. You can't find the object at first but once you do, you think "OH my god how could I miss that?! Now all I can see is that!!" Is this the same experience as yours? and would this be called tinnitus?
(3) How do you guys try and get to sleep with this cicada living in your head?

 

There is a difference between "natural" tinnitus and "pathological" tinnitus. Unless what you are hearing has recently changed markedly, then you are perfectly normal, it would seem. According to the Heller & Bergman experiment, almost everyone has some degree of "head noise" in a silent setting.

It may also be that you really do have tinnitus (since childhood) due to e.g. ear infections, head injury, or a childhood disease. But since then, you have become perfectly habituated (due to onset very early on).

Either way, you should forget about what you are hearing, because "nothing is different" than it was - say - three months ago. My suggestion is to leave this forum, and go about your life as you have always done.

 

I have it too since I was 9 I guess. Now I am 19 and I still hear it when I'm focusing on it or in a silent room. However I get used to it and it doesn't cause much problem with my life. Recently I ask a doctor about it and he says it's normal and I shouldn't think much about it.

 

Agreed, leave this site and don't come back! Also, find a new friend, who doesn't have T, pronto!

Sailboardman

 

If it does not totally disrupt your life I would leave it alone .Don't play around with it .If it starts to really get bad you will know it but like the other members have told you leave this site and stop thinking and searching for it.This is good advice.

 

Thank you all.

 

It's like a seashell, if you cover your ears you're gonna hear feedback, this isn't necessarily tinnitus...I think you may be a tad paranoid and obsessive thinker. Calm down and think of other things.