Can You FEEL Tinnitus? Is It Better to Sit in Silence for a Bit to Habituate?

In my left ear that had the ear infection now gone I can almost FEEL the tinnitus Is that normal?

Also is it better to sit in silence for a bit to try and habituate?

They all say to avoid silence but how will I ever get used to this otherwise?

 

Hi Marie,

I got tinnitus this past February. It decided to say hello two weeks after I had my one and only long day of listening to music. During the first few weeks, the tinnitus bothered me the most because I felt this activity in my head right along the side of my parietal lobes above my ears. It felt like tinny little lightning storms concentrating on the sides of my brain. Luckily that faded. I do have fullness sometimes. But now I feel like my ears and everything inside them feels so heavy. This tinnitus is a drag.

As far sitting in silence. Don't do it. It will only make you focus on it more. If anything find yourself a nice book and put on some very slight background noise (I love rain, with slight thunder). The attention you give to the book will push the tinnitus into the back corner of your mind. I also sometimes feel that the tinnitus makes my occipital lobe sides feel heavier, as if that my brain is straining to suppress the ringing. That is when I notice the ringing switches from a ringing to a hiss, and a soft hiss is so much nicer and less maddening.

-Saša

 

I habituated very quickly.

It seemed quite obvious to me, that you can't get used to tinnitus if you never hear it.

Only mask it or drown it out when you need that to sleep, or at your worst times. There's a balance that needs to be made, because hearing your t can be emotional.

I found distracting myself from t to be much more effective and healthier than trying to hide the T itself.

 

There is no right and wrong way to do it. You just need to find the best way for you.

I need distractions to stop listen to it, then again, I have spent mornings and night laying in bed reading something on my phone. I hear the T at first and then kind of tune out of it. You can't be running away and always masking it, I do believe a balance between both being in silence and having it masked is the best way. But like I said, it varies from person to person and also what level of anxiety your are in.

Best wishes!

 

I agree sometimes I can feel T, its overwhelming, quite odd really, this is more obvious if the t is very quiet and high.
I have to say I don't like masking, in fact mine wont be masked it just turns up its volume, I still spend a lot of time in silence or near silence.
Actually trying to do mindfulness requires sitting for a short time, doing a body scan or counting backwards, in silence. But it says to the brain I can accept the T, so don't bother reminding me its there.
I think its working too.

 

I can definitely feel my tinnitus as well as hear it - some days more than others.

I agree with the comments that distraction is better than masking. I also spent a lot of time reading in quiet rooms while getting used to my new level of tinnitus. As you suggest, I think this helped me get used to it. For me the anxiety went down after a few weeks. I also agree with the idea that it is a matter of individual personality and circumstances.

From the way that you ask the question I would guess that you are sufficiently in control of your emotional responses to deal with exposing yourself to how your t sounds. Trust your instincts - you can always change tack if it is not working.

 

You are going to end up in silence eventually. You can spend the time you have to be that way on learning to focus on things in spite of hearing it, like trying to recite some poem you learned in grade school, do a Sudoku puzzle or whatever else that'll move your noggin. There's little point in doing it purposely to be honest.

 

I Don't Necessarily Like sitting in a quiet room but because my tinnitus is so reactive, I find it seems to quiet the T a little when it feels out of control.

 

I always feel my tinnitus. That is the hardest part for me.
I prefer quiet over noise but I do not sit in a quiet room and listen to the tinnitus. I read, watch a muted tv, etc. I keep my mind busy.

 

When I 1st got tinnitus ...My right ear felt heavy and real sensitive to all sounds....That went away....I do not feel the ringing or cicada type sound....Most people do not like silence but I do...No idea why...I also like to watch TV at night which blocks it out somewhat.