Can't Hear My Tinnitus If I'm Really Focusing on Something, an Indication That I'll Habituate?

Hi,

Hope you're well guys.

I have only had tinnitus for just over two months due to a middle ear operation.

My tinnitus is the hissing kind, I would say it's mild but it varies in volume slightly throughout the day.

However, I noticed that if I'm really focusing on something, there can be a solid 20 - 30 mins where I don't hear my tinnitus, almost as if I don't have it.

I'm still at the stage where I'm thinking about the tinnitus most of the time.

Is the above sign that I will eventually habituate and will hopefully be able to go hours/possibly days without hearing it/noticing it?

I think my bigger issues I need to battle are my anxiety/OCD issues, which were around before the tinnitus.

I know it's impossible for you guys to say with certainty, but wanted to hear some thoughts from people

Thanks,

Sanj

 

I've had it for 2.5 years already, mild as yours. The fact is that majority of time I'm still aware I have T, but it effect on me varies. I have hours When I don't feel stressed by it, just annoyed, I have moment though when the anxiety arises and I quickly have to mask and step into some activity: games, reading, going for a walk etc. Life is not the same as before, but basically I do all the things I was doing prior to T, except for concert / loud parties which I miss a bit but I'm not gonna risk worsening of my T. But to be honest T still annoys me daily and I still experience T related anxiety at times, especially when I want to relax and do nothing. I need to be on the "go" all the time to feel relatively good.

 

I am glad yours is mild but I guess everyone's idea of mild is different. Your's might be even lower than mine, or higher, who knows.

Have you done much/anything to get your anxiety addressed as it seems to me that that is what's causing you distress with this even after 2.5 years.

I guess tinnitus distress is almost always a product of mindset. There are plenty out there with mild tinnitus that are not bothered by their tinnitus at all - often to the extent that they don't know what it's called and then there are those that have mild T and they feel like it's ruined their lives. The difference between the two, from my knowledge, is primarily mindset and mental state.

 

Try to use sound enrichment especially at night using a sound machine by your bedside. During the day, if possible have low level background music playing such as classical or relaxing music. Try to avoid quiet rooms and surroundings as this can make your brain focus more on the tinnitus. You are very new to tinnitus but give it time and you will habituate.

Michael

 

Hello

I will say this much. My tinnitus is very very loud and impossible to not hear it. I have been on anxiety pills before and it was still extremely loud and the noise level never changes for. My tinnitus is due to very loud noises and just a party lifestyle which i was living. In your case, your tinnitus is very mild/low tone. All of us including myself pretty much started out like this.

Since your volume of tinnitus is so low, it might be possible for you to not hear it. Your main issue is the anxiety/OCD (which i have empathy for). Getting that controlled, can be very helpful with your tinnitus. You could impact your tinnitus just by have extreme stress and anxiety.

With my severe/intrusive/ tinnitus it's impossible to not notice it, its very loud. I can stand on the side of the freeway and this demon is still screaming loud. I will say this much, i have about 85% habituated to it and it takes a lot of effort and guts to do this. My biggest issue is the hearing loss that i have, other than that i have accepted my tinnitus and made it my friend and not my enemy.

I think differently and my actions are different as well.... I know that mine will not go away and there is no need for me to deal with it , in such a negative way.....at the end of the day, i will simply bother myself and build anger inside my soul...

You are in a going to be ok, just protect your ears and live your life buddy

 

Thanks for sharing your story.

The thing that gets me about tinnitus is that there are no trends to draw.

For example, a friend of mine knows a DJ who has subjected himself to super loud music for extended periods of times for 25 years and only now has very mild T that he can hear in a quiet room, whereas there are others with almost perfect hearing and have hardly been exposed to loud music that have screaming loud T. It makes no sense.

I would say I have moderate hearing loss in my ear with the T (due two of the hearing bones being removed and replaced with one) but I have what I would myself call mild T.

Also with regards to me not hearing it, I can hear it most of the time, but it's only when I'm focusing on something that my brain is occupied with that then the T sound dissapears from my consciousness. The key word for me is focus, if I am watching something on TV but not focusing I can hear the T but if I start focusing on the show then the T does start to fade into the background. I guess it's about me finding a way of harnessing that ability and shifting my focus away from the T for extended periods of time.

I do believe my anxiety and OCD amplify the sound and if I didn't have these mental conditions I would be coping with all of this much better.

How did your T go from mild to super loud if you don't mind me asking?

 

Hi again,

no two cases are the same. some can live the life, be around loud sounds and never have tinnitus or maybe get a low hiss tone. Tinnitus can happen for any reason, once it does happen though.....then abusing the ears can increase the noise and bring on further torment. Your issue is focusing, i totally get it. I feel for you and can understand your issue. Anxiety/OCD is a horrible thing.

I'll share something with -

I love my dogs, more than anything in life. I have always had dreams and nightmares of my dogs running into the streets and getting run over by cars. Back in the days, i use to live in a condo and i had a neighbor that was on the otherside of my condo and he would see me leaving my condo, when i was going out.

My OCD was to make , sure that my door was locked. At first this OCD, made me not want to go out my condo, cuz i knew his door was open and he was just looking all day long. At times it would take me 10-20 minutes, my ocd was high and i had to check my door and i was just not handling it well.

This was a huge issue for me and it was affecting and hurting me. I still faced this issue and was telling myself that i will beat this. It took so much heart, courage and patience to fight this and win this one. I had this issue for 2-3 years and i hated it.

Now, these days i check my door for 2 minutes and leave, i don't dwell on this matter anymore. OCDs are scary man, i know just how bad people have it and i have lots of love and empathy for them.

My point is this, if you can curve your OCD, then life gets a little easier. It's hard to not focus on tinnitus, when we deal with anxiety/ocd


I ruined my ears by starting with a low tone/hiss and then partying and being in louder places. Medicine also made my tinnitus worst. It is - what it is, i don't beat myself over it..it's life and i move on...