Don't Despair, You Can Get Past This — My Journey with Tinnitus and Adaptation

[NickJones48]

Hi,

I am a guy in my mid fifties who developed constant tinnitus a few years ago, probably from deejaying loud club music in my twenties. When I realized it was not going to go away, about a month in, I felt intense depression and despair. I had tried every trick to block it out, but nothing worked. I was really down and even briefly thought about checking out for good. But I did not, of course, and I want to share my journey since then.

Six to nine months in, my body and brain just found a way to adapt. Now, for about 80 percent of my waking hours, I hardly notice it. When I do tune into it, I remind myself that it is not that bad and that I can cope. It probably has not gotten quieter (who can really tell?), and it is still very noticeable when I am trying to sleep, especially if I am not extremely tired. But over time, it became my new normal. Almost all of us, I think, eventually learn to accept what becomes normal in our lives.

As it happens, my best friend developed tinnitus a year after I did. He was really struggling for a few months, but now, a couple of years later, he is coping just fine, just like me.

So my message is this. Yes, it will feel horrendous at first. But keep going, my friends. You will learn to live with it, and eventually, it will become just a minor part of your life. You will overcome the shock and loss. Stay strong and positive.

One last thing. I do get spikes from time to time, but they always settle back to my usual not too bad level within minutes or a day at most.

 

[DamagedJoe]

Hi,

I am a guy in my mid fifties who developed constant tinnitus a few years ago, probably from deejaying loud club music in my twenties. When I realized it was not going to go away, about a month in, I felt intense depression and despair. I had tried every trick to block it out, but nothing worked. I was really down and even briefly thought about checking out for good. But I did not, of course, and I want to share my journey since then.

Six to nine months in, my body and brain just found a way to adapt. Now, for about 80 percent of my waking hours, I hardly notice it. When I do tune into it, I remind myself that it is not that bad and that I can cope. It probably has not gotten quieter (who can really tell?), and it is still very noticeable when I am trying to sleep, especially if I am not extremely tired. But over time, it became my new normal. Almost all of us, I think, eventually learn to accept what becomes normal in our lives.

As it happens, my best friend developed tinnitus a year after I did. He was really struggling for a few months, but now, a couple of years later, he is coping just fine, just like me.

So my message is this. Yes, it will feel horrendous at first. But keep going, my friends. You will learn to live with it, and eventually, it will become just a minor part of your life. You will overcome the shock and loss. Stay strong and positive.

One last thing. I do get spikes from time to time, but they always settle back to my usual not too bad level within minutes or a day at most.

I can't believe these stories. How can you accept that this is how the rest of your life should be? Right now, posts like this just make me angry—nothing personal.

 

[Fazdoll]

I agree, these stories are absolutely horrifying. You'll have an awful life and never experience restful sleep—but don't worry, you'll get used to being in despair for the next 30 years! I can't. I just can't.

 

[Jupiterman]

Could you please describe your tinnitus, @NickJones48?

 

[Luman]

I can't believe these stories. How can you accept that this is how the rest of your life should be? Right now, posts like this just make me angry—nothing personal.

I can accept that for the rest of my life I will likely have tinnitus, but I do not hear it the majority of the time because I have habituated to it, as is the case for most people with tinnitus. When I notice it, it is not particularly bothersome. Protecting the ears from further damage is important.

Good luck.

 

[Mark F.]

I agree, these stories are absolutely horrifying. You'll have an awful life and never experience restful sleep—but don't worry, you'll get used to being in despair for the next 30 years! I can't. I just can't.

Well said!

 

[withintention]

because I have habituated to it, as is the case for most people with tinnitus

I don't think that's true; it depends on the case.

I had mild tinnitus before an acoustic trauma gave me severe, louder-than-everything, constant tinnitus. I think it's great that some people can habituate and move on, but I don't think I can ever habituate to mine at the level it is now. Could anyone habituate to a tea kettle going off in their head all the time? I don't think it's possible.

But I can accept it and try to find a way to enjoy life despite it. What other choice is there besides ending your life? So that's the path I am on. I am trying to get used to it and find contentment and joy in life regardless.

 

[Frederick Marlin]

I am 71, and I do not want to live with this forever. It has been a nightmare, day and night, for five years.

 

[BuzzyBee]

I am 71, and I do not want to live with this forever. It has been a nightmare, day and night, for five years.

Ten years in, and I can empathize. I would not call it constant torture because it fluctuates so much, but I would not mind just not being here anymore. Why do some people habituate while others do not? I hope research can shed some light on why some brains adapt while others never do. And it is not for lack of trying.

 

[trevl]

.... Why do some people habituate while others do not? I hope research can shed some light on why some brains adapt while others never do. And it is not for lack of trying.

The plasticity of the brain-auditory system means that many, or even most, people who experience one-time or moderate tinnitus will recover, with their tinnitus decreasing or even being "cured." This recovery is not due to exercise, pills, meditation, lifestyle changes, or a "tinnitus journey."

See my response here:

Desperate for Help: My Son’s Severe Tinnitus Flare After Concert Exposure

I am posting on behalf of my son, Kevin. He developed tinnitus ten years ago after firing a gun without ear protection. He eventually habituated. In September, he attended an outdoor concert with what he believed was sufficient ear protection. However, the exposure caused a tinnitus flare, and...

www.tinnitustalk.com

 

[BuzzyBee]

The plasticity of the brain-auditory system means that many, or even most, people who experience one-time or moderate tinnitus will recover, with their tinnitus decreasing or even being "cured." This recovery is not due to exercise, pills, meditation, lifestyle changes, or a "tinnitus journey."

See my response here:

Desperate for Help: My Son’s Severe Tinnitus Flare After Concert Exposure

I am posting on behalf of my son, Kevin. He developed tinnitus ten years ago after firing a gun without ear protection. He eventually habituated. In September, he attended an outdoor concert with what he believed was sufficient ear protection. However, the exposure caused a tinnitus flare, and...

www.tinnitustalk.com

So it all comes down to the brain's plasticity. It is fascinating how some people who are completely deaf do not experience tinnitus at all. This brings us back to the concept of neuroplasticity.

But what is different about the neuroplasticity of those who struggle so severely with tinnitus that they consider ending their lives?

 

[Jupiterman]

...it fluctuates so much, ... Why do some people habituate while others do not?

If your tinnitus continually changes, won't that make it more difficult for the brain to habituate and ignore it?

 

[SueX]

I am eight months in. The noise I hear is like train brakes, along with several other sounds happening at the same time. It is also pulsatile.

I have not managed to get used to it yet, but there are many positive stories here, and that truly helps.

 

[BuzzyBee]

If your tinnitus continually changes, won't that make it more difficult for the brain to habituate and ignore it?

You would think so. The reactivity and unpredictable nature of my tinnitus make it torture for me personally. Yet there are people who claim to have loud, fluctuating tinnitus that they can simply ignore.

Those of us who cannot ignore it end up trapped in the feedback loop. We are aware of this, we know about the feedback loop, and some of us have even gone through Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), yet we still cannot get used to it.

So what gives? Maybe there is more to it than just the feedback loop.

I am obviously having a loud day.

 

[trevl]

So it all comes down to the brain's plasticity. It is fascinating how some people who are completely deaf do not experience tinnitus at all. This brings us back to the concept of neuroplasticity.

But what is different about the neuroplasticity of those who struggle so severely with tinnitus that they consider ending their lives?

Actually, it has been found that deaf people can and do experience tinnitus. This discovery led researchers to conclude that high-volume noise-induced tinnitus is not a product of the ear but rather a condition originating in the brain. It is, in essence, a form of brain injury.

In my case, the high-frequency tinnitus in my left ear occurs in the region where I am profoundly deaf. My brain is not receiving enough input from the damaged hearing cells tuned to high-frequency sound, which leads to the perception of high-frequency tinnitus.

There are varying degrees of hearing cell damage. When hearing cells suffer moderate damage, and tinnitus initially appears, the brain and auditory system begin searching for pathways to regain sufficient signals from the remaining hearing cells. This process aims to minimize or even resolve the loss of signal input that results in tinnitus.

In many cases, hearing cells in the frequency range where the original damage occurred are recruited to compensate for the loss, filling the gap left by the damaged cells. In many cases, this compensatory mechanism is sufficient.

See my response here:

Audiogram and Other Hearing Test Results

The way I look at it is that you have a "perfect audiogram" (almost). Clearly your hearing isn't perfect as you suffer from tinnitus. A perfect audiogram is a necessary condition to perfect hearing, but not sufficient. Audiograms have important limitations, many of which you can find mentioned...

www.tinnitustalk.com

There is no connection between neuroplasticity and someone ending their life because of tinnitus. The primary factors leading to such a tragic outcome are the frequency and volume of the tinnitus.

Imagine lying in bed with your eyes aching from lack of sleep. You close your eyes in a quiet room, but instead of silence, your brain generates the relentless squeal of railway wheels on steel tracks, endlessly winding around a mountain pass. The train never stops. You may eventually fall asleep for a few hours out of sheer exhaustion.

But when you wake, even with your eyes still closed, the piercing squeal continues. You desperately need more sleep, but the sound remains, too loud and unending. You are caught between being too exhausted to function properly while awake and not exhausted enough to find relief in sleep.

 

[Jupiterman]

Yet there are people who claim to have loud, fluctuating tinnitus that they can simply ignore.

Who?

 

[BuzzyBee]

Actually, it has been found that deaf people can and do experience tinnitus. This discovery led researchers to conclude that high-volume noise-induced tinnitus is not a product of the ear but rather a condition originating in the brain. It is, in essence, a form of brain injury.

Thanks for the detailed and thoughtful response, @trevl. Just to clarify, I did not say that deaf people cannot have tinnitus. As someone who is partially deaf and experiences tinnitus, it is important for me to point that out.

 

[SueX]

I have also tried all the therapies, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Tinnitus Retraining Therapy. However, like someone else mentioned, I experience a relentless screeching sound, like train brakes in my head. On top of that, other tones also appear. For me, my brain cannot adapt to this constant noise.

Even in my dreams, the noise is so overwhelming that it clearly frightens my subconscious mind. I often wake up banging my head against the wall. Literally. This is not something I am doing consciously; it is my subconscious reacting to what it perceives as danger, likely triggering a fight-or-flight response.

Thankfully, I have not injured myself yet, as I usually wake up quickly. But it is genuinely frightening. I have not figured out how to habituate to these sounds, but I remain hopeful that there will be a way.