Back to Silence

GOOD for you!!!!!!

 

Dear IWLM, I asked you before, but you probably didn't see this question, but how come you never naturally habituated? Because that is what we read all the time. Everybody habituates in the end. Everybody gets used to it somehow.

 

Ya, I got used to it over and over through the years. It seemed to come and go. Usually loud music or certain medicines brought it back. But in the last few years it just bugged me all the time until just recently when I was actually getting frantic and worried about it. I came here and learned about habituation and masking and other things, and luckily read the info about this cool method.
Regarding habituation, both of my parents have tinnitus. My mom's doesn't bug her until someone talks about tinnitus. My dad often complains about his and he looks worried. One day they told me that's why they have the TV on so loud! I told them about this method, they went, "Hmm." So I think my mom has habituated but not pops.

 

Thanks for all of these techniques,
@I who love music! I tried this going to sleep last night and it was helpful. Trying it now as well. So glad to hear you are listening to music in the car again--such a blessing to be able to enjoy that!

 

Update!!!!!!!!!!
Woke up early today, about 6 am. Laid in bed for a while thinking about nothing in particular. Wasn't really tired. My kitten jumped up and I played with her for a while. The room was quiet. All of a sudden, I thought, "I'm not responding to my tinnitus!!!!" As you know, I respond to my feelings about tinnitus, not the sound of tinnitus, this is the basis of the Back To Silence method. I was so happy and rested I just couldn't resist (though I'm not supposed to) try to listen for my tinnitus. So I tried to hear it, and it was GONE!!!!!!!!!! This is the 3rd time in a few weeks. Quickly, I jumped out of bed before I could actually hear any tinnitus and got on with my day. It wasn't particularly a great day as far as events go, but I felt so GOOD all day. If someone handed me a million bucks right now and said, Take the money, and take your tinnitus back... I'd say NO WAY. Not for a million bucks!!

BTW, maybe this makes a difference - my responses lately have been different. I actually feel no emotion toward intrusive tinnitus anymore when it does happen. And my responses have been something like, "So what?"

In a nutshell, my responses are constantly changing and so is my tinnitus. After 40 years of this crap, this is pretty cool!!!

 

You are blessed! I continue to use your technique and have made some baby steps in managing my reaction to tinnitus. I have learned you must be consistent, no taking a day off or it slips in right back front and center!
Oh look, you are just one state over, when I reach my goal will meet you for a celebration.

 

That's right - Consistency. And then pretty soon consistency turns into a good habit, without even thinking about it. Over and over I've said it gets easier. It's true.

 

Well done @I who love music

What you've done is basically TRT - Lessening the importance of the signal and it retreats into the background.

I've been doing this for the passed few weeks and I am seeing a difference in the percentage of time I notice T during the day. It is falling.

I would say the neurons in your brain are still firing away but the signal is not making it passed the gating mechanism of the brain and it is not making its way to the Auditory system so you can't hear it. The brain no longer cares about this signal.

I think after 40 years you deserve some peace. Furthermore I absolutely do not think it just coincidentally disappeared. It is definitely as a result of the strategy you have employed.

I also agree you could make a lot of money releasing this as a structured treatment. You would shut Thomas Coleman down instantly.

I hope this success continues.

R

 

Amen to that brother! Good luck my friend

 

You da man, @I who love music!

 

Very interesting, thanks for the explanation.
I'll hear it now if I want to, but I don't want to. This is better than I hoped for. Uh.. who's Thomas Coleman?

 

Thomas Coleman is the crook behind the Tinnitus Miracle scam...

You've given a lot of folks hope here with your success.

 

I have mostly habituated my reaction but I still hear my tinnitus mostly all the time. I've been trying this since you posted your method. I don't see any difference. I finally figured it is because you've had tinnitus so much longer than I have. I have two friends at work who have had tinnitus over ten years and they don't hear it unless they listen for it or it is mentioned. One has very loud tinnitus and the other I would describe as mild-but it freaked her out so she had the fight or flight syndrome that we all go through even though it's mild. I'll keep trying as I have nothing to lose. I'm doing okay--habituating helps tremendously. I go to work with loud tinnitus and manage to get through the day. I know I'm better off than so many and I am grateful.

 

Late February update-
Had a bad day, icky weather, lots to do, things slowing my down. Kinda grumpy all day. By rights, my tinnitus should've kicked in. It didn't. Not all day.
That's huge progress.

 

Awe man @I who love music i am loving these updates. Even when you're feeling grumpy you're still kicking butt!

 

I'm still having progress - what a cool method this is. Hang in there, keep at it, don't give up.
Yesterday a loud temporary spike hit me and got my attention. I calmly told myself how I felt about it. I remember that my response was very quick and confident.
I've been goofing around this morning for 2 hours and haven't responded to it.

 

What's a typical good response? 'I can hear the tinnitus, but my life is still good and it doesn't worry me now'.

How would that response be? Ok?

I like this approach, I know there is a potential detachment from physicality, but I believe stress and thoughts play a huge role with tinnitus.

 

"I hear you. You didn't bother me yesterday and you don't bother me today. Life is good."
This is exactly what I've been telling myself lately about once a day. And little by little, I get further from my T.

 

Thanks again, @I who love music
Great thread. Just scanned the whole thing.
Started this method, and had low tinnitus for about a month. This was a a result of not measuring tinnitus, but describing my responses. Also, was distracted by a fun project that was taking more of my attention.
Then a life stress event happened, and back to being bothered again. But will start over. Your description of this method has been very clear, and thanks for the examples.

I did notice that @Silvine , your process seems a bit different. If you are still on this thread, without explaining the science again behind it, can you please give specific examples of affirmations you would use? So far, all I've got from reading your posts is look in the mirror and say, My tinnitus is marvelous. That doesn't seem to quite cut it. But maybe you can give more examples of specific affirmations. Cheers.

 

April 2015 Update.

I had a nasty spike for reasons unknown. It was enough to really shake me up, as my left ear was really giving me problems with the sound like a whistle/dentist drill. Kinda was really on my nerves. So much so that it shook me from my confidence in the 'method' for a couple days. I was so nervous and consumed with listening to the spike I lost my footing. About 3 days went by and I asked myself, "What am I waiting for?" So I started stating my feelings and for a few days, there were a LOT of feelings!! Although I shouldn't have been surprised, in a week things settled back down. This is a first!! An intense spike like that has always taken much longer to quiet. And I'm back to 1, maybe 2 responses a day. And life is really good.

 

Amazing and gives so many of us who are scared, hope and some comfort.

 

Ahhhh.
Late April. Back to normal. Back to silence. Only measuring my response once every day or two.
Please give this method a chance. After 40 years of dealing with tinnitus, this is the best thing to come along.

 

@I who love music
Your method has been really working for me, experiencing a fade in the last couple of months. Then 4 days ago, I fell and hit the back of my head. Big spike still. Takes a lot of strength to calm the panic. Hoping it IS a spike and not a permanent change from the head trauma.

 

I always listened to this if my tinnitus spiked as it caused it to go back to baseline and it helped me relax.

Mozart - Sonata for Two Pianos in D, K. 448...

CONCLUSION:
The study suggests that Mozart therapy could be a valid alternative to the common sound therapy methods in tinnitus patients.

OBJECTIVES:
The aim of the study was to evaluate the presence of the Mozart effect as indexed by a variation in tinnitus intensity and tolerability.

METHOD:
Sixty-two individuals aged between 22 and 78 years, reporting tinnitus for at least 1 year, were enrolled for the study. All patients attended a 1 h cognitive behavioral counseling session and listened to Mozart's sonata k448 for 1 h per day for a month. Afterwards patients listened to Beethoven's Für Elise sonata for 1 h per day for a month. To evaluate the general stress level, the impact of tinnitus on patients' quality of life, and the intensity of tinnitus, patients were invited to participate in three tests: the Measure du Stress Psychologique (MSP) questionnaire, the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), and a 0 to 10 visual analog scale (VAS).

RESULTS:
For all the parameters investigated, MSP, THI, and intensity, there was a general significant improvement between the pre- and post-listening evaluation. A significant improvement, as regards THI and intensity, could already be appreciated after a single exposure to Mozart's sonata.

 

I had a setback too, about a month ago. I had to restart my method. I was measuring my responses again maybe 10 or 20 times a day. I felt all weird again because of the loudness. But I kept at it and soon I was down to 1 or 2 responses a day again. I'm really happy to hear that people are trying this. I wish more people would give it a chance.

 

Really good that your method works and things calm down again.
Unfortunately what you describe (a spike which sounds like dentist drill/whistle) is what some here (like me) have in their head 24/7. Nevertheless, maybe one day our reaction is also down to zero. The journey continues.

 

I applaud IWLM's approach, in helping people to eliminate or lower their awareness of tinnitus. Kudos to you! You're a true survivor! (Similar to Billie48.) I'm glad this method has worked for so many here.

However, like Martin just posted, I dare someone, who has a screaming, high pitched, siren going off in their head, (like me and him), to forget it's there, even for one second of the day! It's the ultimate spike, 24/7. Basically, impossible to ignore, unless standing next to a jet engine. (or two) Not trying to be negative, just relaying my current situation. (You will notice, I said current situation.)

There's tinnitus, and then there's really bad tinnitus.

God bless all who suffer and all who have been saved!

Sailboardman

 

@Sailboardman, you also live in the town Clown College is located. May be heading into your town to get an application for Clown College. I call my granddaughter the female Jim Carey. When asked where she's heading for college (in one year), she says Clown College. She's a smart, funny kid with a thousand faces and she's beautiful. I know this isn't tinnitus related, but WTF. SickMick

 

@SickoMicko,

You were referring to clown college in Sarasota? This is where Nick Wallenda lives, in fact, where all the famous circus performing Wallenda's, live or lived. John Ringling, of Ringling Brothers fame, built a mansion here, which is now a huge museum. He also built, St. Armands Circle, a high end restaurant and shopping area, close to Lido Beach, where I do my daily walking.

Sailboardman

 

Yep that's the place.