Habituation Misconceptions?

[BobDigi]

After a long time away from this site, I logged back on again a few weeks ago. The reason was because my left ear needed syringing for the first time since I got tinnitus some 4 years ago. I was going to seek advise.

Anyway the syringing went fine. But since I've logged back in I've hung around and given advise, got into an argument, gotten some good advise and lastly, noticed the misconception by some people when it comes to habituation.

I feel like some people are getting confused between habituation in the sense, the tinnitus is no longer upsetting or frustrating, and impossible habituation, in the sense you can no longer hear tinnitus.
I'm sure some people with very minor tinnitus, the type where you can only hear it in a quiet room, may get to the point where they get so used to it, it's as if its gone.

But the type of loud intrusive tinnitus I have can never be forgotten about.

So I just want to draw attention to the fact, the end game isn't necessarily never hearing your tinnitus. And it probably won't be days or weeks without thinking about it.

But it is not thinking about it often. And when you do, the duration becomes less and less. To the point it doesn't bother you too much, because you know you'll soon for get about it again. It's enjoying the things you enjoyed as much as you did before tinnitus. It's getting to the point it would be nice if it one day stopped, but given 10 wishes, it wouldn't be near the top.

I think about my tinnitus most days at some point. While I type this it's screening in my left ear. But that's ok. Because I know I've nearly finished. And when I have, I'll put my phone down and carry on watching this crappy documentary on Netflix and probably not think about my tinnitus at all. It's still there, I just don't care.

 

[Ed209]

A lot of people are still in the acute stage and habituation is like an insult. I won't lie, I felt the same years ago before I knew any better. Don't get me wrong tinnitus is life changing. I have to really watch what I expose my ears to and it's always looming as a threat. But, we can live with it if we accept it and move on. The more you fight it the worse it gets. Get angry about it and it will imprint itself even more into your consciousness. Accept it and stop caring so much about it and it will stop bothering you. Hard to believe when you are pissed off at life, but it's true for most people whether one believes it or not.

 

[Michael Leigh]

I feel like some people are getting confused between habituation in the sense, the tinnitus is no longer upsetting or frustrating, and impossible habituation, in the sense you can no longer hear tinnitus.
I'm sure some people with very minor tinnitus, the type where you can only hear it in a quiet room, may get to the point where they get so used to it, it's as if its gone.

You raise some interesting points in your post and for the majority of people habituation is as you say. However, it is much more complicated for some people because there are limitations to habituation.


The habituation process.

Habituation is frequently talked about in tinnitus forums and probably comes in at second place to the popular question: when will a cure be found? It seems some people have become quite taken with this word and believe it is the most important thing to strive for when dealing with this condition. Everyone wants to habituate as soon as possible and carry on living their life doing everything that they want to and putting tinnitus firmly behind them.

I can honestly say that I see nothing wrong with that, but wanting something in the speed that we would like it isn't always achievable, especially with something like tinnitus. A few people that have had tinnitus for a while, have contacted me to discuss just that. They have concerns about the length of time it's taking to habituate. Similarly, I have heard from those new to this condition that want the habitation process to start as quickly as possible. Both groups tell me they are doing all the right things but it seems patience is giving way to despondency and despair and some are starting to believe habituation might never happen for them.

It is of little comfort to these people when they hear family and friends say, tinnitus is just a minor irritant and something that can easily be ignored. Occasionally, it might be intrusive but this is never more than temporary and they are still able to carry on with their life unperturbed. I often sense the frustration a person is under when they are relaying this to me. Whether I'm talking to them on the telephone, private messenger or answering an email. It is then that I'm often asked: why is it that the habituation process doesn't seem to be happening for them?

Answering such a question isn't easy because there is no single answer that I can provide but I will say this. Tinnitus is a common condition that comes in many forms and intensities and no two people experience it the same. It can be very troublesome especially in the early stages of onset, but gradually this gives way and the condition settles down and in time many manage to cope with it when it's mild or moderate. Sometimes this may involve treatment via a hearing therapist or a person achieves this naturally without being referred to a clinic.

It should be noted that tinnitus can be a complex condition, depending on how loud and intrusive it is for the individual? So what I've just outlined won't apply to everyone. There are other factors that also come into play. A person's make-up or rather their outlook on life. Whether they are positive or negative thinking can help or delay the habitation process. In addition to this, stress and anxiety are often associated with tinnitus and a person might be taking medication such as an antidepressant to help cope with it. There are a myriad of scenarios that I could relay to you on how tinnitus can affect someone's quality of life, their well-being and the habituation process. For now I will say this:

When a person habituates to tinnitus it means they are able cope with it but this doesn't mean they will never hear it. Although some people habituate to a level where the tinnitus is rarely heard or stays at a very low level. Whether the tinnitus is silent for periods of time or remains low, mild, moderate or is occasionally intrusive, it doesn't really matter, because it all means the same thing. When habituation is reached a person will know, because whatever the level it will not bother you. However, like everything there are exceptions and tinnitus is no different. I believe there are some limitations to habituation. As I have previously said the condition comes in many forms and intensities. Some people have variable tinnitus that can fluctuate from silent, mild, moderate and severe. When it is loud and intrusive (severe) and this level is sustained for long periods it can become very debilitating and a person might have to take medication to cope with it, which is usually supplied by their doctor. This level of sustained intrusiveness shouldn't be confused with a tinnitus spike, which usually returns to baseline within a short period of time.

I want to say that I believe habituation is achievable for most people with time. In some instances a person might need the professional help of a Hearing Therapist or Audiologist, as there are a variety of treatment options available to help one in the habituation process. One should also try to be realistic. There are some people that will accept nothing less than a complete cure from their tinnitus and this is unfortunate, because they could waste a lot of time being miserable.

I have corresponded with people that have said, their tinnitus is very low and is only heard occasionally or in a quiet room, at night for instance. Yet these people are not satisfied because they want a complete cure and will deliberately seek out quiet surroundings to monitor their tinnitus, checking to see if it has increased or not. It's as if they have become obsessed with this condition and to the point where is starts to affect their relationship with those that are close to them, and I don't think this is healthy.

In summing up I want to say one last thing. Those that are having treatment with a Hearing Therapist, Audiologist, or finding that their tinnitus is becoming less intrusive and they are in the habituation process. Try not to read negative posts or associate with negative thinking people who are not in the same place that you are, as their beliefs can prevent your advancement, if you are not careful.

I wish you well
Michael

 

[Tinniger]

What bothers me about these impressive reports is the fact that all forms of tinnitus are treated in the same way.

Btw., - who speaks of habituation in headache?...

 

[Ed209]

What bothers me about these impressive reports is the fact that all forms of tinnitus are treated in the same way.

Btw., - who speaks of habituation in headache?...

I believe most people who post here fall within a certain range. Anyone - in my opinion - who has true catastrophic tinnitus probably wouldn't be posting here all that much. I believe there is a level which is so loud it can be all encompassing. I know this would be unbelievably hard to deal with, but I also believe that it's extremely rare.

At the end of the day it's all subjective. I don't understand the problem with not believing it though. People post to reassure others but it's often argued over. If you don't believe it then don't. In the grand scheme of things I don't think it matters to people who have habituated if you believe it or not. We only post to show a positive angle on the condition. Otherwise it really would be just complete doom and gloom on here. You'd never hear from anyone in the real word who is coping with it, so it would be assumed they don't exist.

 

[Red]

That's all habituation is? Doesn't even deserve a name. If you still notice the tinnitus regularly then how can it be called that? It should be called just having tinnitus. Feels like more experienced folks are building it up.

Better make sure my tinnitus doesn't get worse then.

 

[BobDigi]

If you still notice the tinnitus regularly then how can it be called that? I

Well it's not possible to never notice my tinnitus. It's very high pitched and about 1.5 times the volume of a TV. But if I had to try and put it into a percentage of the day I don't think about it, i'd guess at 98%.
And that's my point. If people think they aren't habituating because they still think about their t, then they are probably having unrealistic expectations.
But if, for example, you've just been on a 2 hour bike ride and not thought about your t then it's a sign you are progressing. And if it's possible for you to go 2 hours without getting upset or frustrated with your t, then it must be possible to get to 4 hours or 8 hours and maybe one day a whole day!
I've definitely had a whole day where I haven't thought about tinnitus. To me that's habituation.

 

[Michael Leigh]

Well it's not possible to never notice my tinnitus. It's very high pitched and about 1.5 times the volume of a TV. But if I had to try and put it into a percentage of the day I don't think about it, i'd guess at 98%.
And that's my point. If people think they aren't habituating because they still think about their t, then they are probably having unrealistic expectations.
But if, for example, you've just been on a 2 hour bike ride and not thought about your t then it's a sign you are progressing. And if it's possible for you to go 2 hours without getting upset or frustrated with your t, then it must be possible to get to 4 hours or 8 hours and maybe one day a whole day!
I've definitely had a whole day where I haven't thought about tinnitus. To me that's habituation.

Although there are limitations to habituation for some people, it is exactly as you say @BobDigi. Many people misunderstand what habituation to tinnitus means. It is as the word implies: to live with (getting used to it ) and doesn't mean that it won't be heard.

 

[Red]

Guess I've already habituated then.

Yep, living the dream.

 

[Michael Leigh]

Guess I've already habituated then.

Yep, living the dream.

No you have not habituated. When one habituates an emotional and psychological process takes place. One of acceptance and this takes time. You haven't accepted it yet, although I believe it is possible. For this to happen you may need counselling, to remove your negative thinking about tinnitus.

 

[Red]

No you have not habituated. When one habituates an emotional and psychological process takes place. One of acceptance and this takes time. You haven't accepted it yet, although I believe it is possible. For this to happen you may need counselling, to remove your negative thinking about tinnitus.

Have I not?

Can I go 24 hours without thinking about tinnitus? Yes, and probably longer provided no spikes.
Can I get sleep at night? Yes.
I don't consider my T mild but many people on here probably would consider it to be.
So I'm the best case scenario so I should shut up and learn to appreciate what I have while I have it.

 

[Michael Leigh]

Have I not?

Can I go 24 hours without thinking about tinnitus? Yes, and probably longer provided no spikes.
Can I get sleep at night? Yes.
I don't consider my T mild but many people on here probably would consider it to be.
So I'm the best case scenario so I should shut up and learn to appreciate what I have while I have it.

Please read my post above: The habituation process. All the information is there and the help one may need to habituate to tinnitus. It took me 4 years to habituate to tinnitus for the second time. Habituation doesn't mean one shouldn't have negative thoughts about tinnitus for this would be virtually impossible for some people. However, it means not to allow negative thinking to overwhelm you. After you have read the post above. Please click on the links below and read further information on habituation, the negative mindset and how this can affect our progress. Once negativity is replaced with positive thinking many changes will start to take place.

I wish you well.
Michael


https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/is-positivity-important.23150/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-and-the-negative-mindset.23705/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/acquiring-a-positive-mindset.23969/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/the-ent-doctor-and-hearing-therapist.24047/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/inspiration.22894/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/can-tinnitus-counselling-help.22366/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/the-habituation-process.20767/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/a-change-of-lifestyle.20643/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-and-negative-counselling.26669/

 

[Ed209]

That's all habituation is? Doesn't even deserve a name. If you still notice the tinnitus regularly then how can it be called that? It should be called just having tinnitus. Feels like more experienced folks are building it up.

Better make sure my tinnitus doesn't get worse then.

Have you ever noticed how your tongue lies uncomfortably in your mouth? Your teeth are in the way and it doesn't fit very well. However, your brain doesn't think about it unless you do. The same can be said about aches and pains that we tune out all the time. A negative mindset will never let go of tinnitus. I understand this. Tinnitus is a monumental task when it's really intrusive but habituation is possible. It's all in the mindset.

If something no longer bothers you then it's no longer a problem; it's as simple as that. Sometimes, I think we can become so fixated on it that professional help maybe needed to help break the cycle of negativity. I will point out that I am currently NOT habituated. Mine was broken by an obscenely loud MRI scan, but I will get back to where I was because there's no other way. I've got a daughter to look after and she can't have her father depressed.

I'll just say I know it's real because I lived it for a long time and I will again. If you disagree then that's fine. I just don't understand why some people feel the need to throw abuse around at others for just stating the facts on their own personal experience.

I'm going to make this my last post as the negativity here is mind blowing nowadays. I even get PMs giving me grief! It just isn't worth posting anymore and I definitely need to leave to get my head straight anyway. I sincerely wish you all the best and hope that you reach a place that you personally feel is a success. We can all do it.

 

[Michael Leigh]

I'm going to make this my last post as the negativity here is mind blowing nowadays. I even get PMs giving me grief! It just isn't worth posting anymore and I definitely need to leave to get my head straight anyway. I sincerely wish you all the best and hope that you reach a place that you personally feel is a success. We can all do it.

Sorry to see you go @Ed209 for you are a great help in this forum to those that need it. The negativity here is truly overwhelming by some people and this is unfortunate. Tinnitus can be debilitating condition when it is severe. The answer is to try and seek help if possible, so one's life becomes easier.

Take care and hope to see you return soon Ed.
Michael

 

[glynis]

@Ed209,
You will be greatly missed so please pop on when you feel like it or maybe pop on Tinnitus Hub facebook group...lol but keep intouch ...love glynis xxx

 

[PaulBe]

Btw., - who speaks of habituation in headache?...

To be fair though, it is part of chronic pain syndrome management.

 

[Tinniger]

To be fair though, it is part of chronic pain syndrome management.

You're right. Habituation is a therapy concept for chronic pain.
My comparison resulted from the fact that I consider tinnitus to be a symptom of many different diseases, just as headaches are a symptom of different diseases.
I don't want to put all tinnitus patients in one pot and season them all in the same way with habituation.

 

[BobDigi]

So I'm the best case scenario so I should shut up and learn to appreciate what I have while I have it.

Well I understand you're being sarcastic, but the honest answer is yes! Believe me or not, that would certainly help your habituation process more than the alternative.

 

[Pleasure_Paulie]

My therapist describes this as "hearing it, but not listening to it". In other words, it's still there but you're not having an emotional response as a result.

Majority of the people I see visit this site are in a panic state so not able to understand how this process could ever be possible. But it can, and it does. Time is your friend.

 

[jay777]

CIA method of training to withstand TORTURE

 

[Zug]

Have you ever noticed how your tongue lies uncomfortably in your mouth? Your teeth are in the way and it doesn't fit very well. However, your brain doesn't think about it unless you do. The same can be said about aches and pains that we tune out all the time. A negative mindset will never let go of tinnitus. I understand this. Tinnitus is a monumental task when it's really intrusive but habituation is possible. It's all in the mindset.

If something no longer bothers you then it's no longer a problem; it's as simple as that. Sometimes, I think we can become so fixated on it that professional help maybe needed to help break the cycle of negativity. I will point out that I am currently NOT habituated. Mine was broken by an obscenely loud MRI scan, but I will get back to where I was because there's no other way. I've got a daughter to look after and she can't have her father depressed.

I'll just say I know it's real because I lived it for a long time and I will again. If you disagree then that's fine. I just don't understand why some people feel the need to throw abuse around at others for just stating the facts on their own personal experience.

I'm going to make this my last post as the negativity here is mind blowing nowadays. I even get PMs giving me grief! It just isn't worth posting anymore and I definitely need to leave to get my head straight anyway. I sincerely wish you all the best and hope that you reach a place that you personally feel is a success. We can all do it.

There are some lessons people need to learn by themselves. I come here to try to help from time to time and I agree with you, sometimes it's not worthy.

Best,
Zug

 

[Greg Sacramento]

I believe most people who post here fall within a certain range. Anyone - in my opinion - who has true catastrophic tinnitus probably wouldn't be posting here all that much.

I'm told that my new physical T borderlines on catastrophic, but I also have heart disease. It takes all the will power that I have to cope, just too many other pain situations to deal with as well. With my first onset - subjective T - I was able to adjust and often never noticed it after it dropped to 6.5 the sound of a microwave.

Ed, wishing you well.

 

[Rajin]

I think I have partially habituated. I am doing the things I was doing before, not afraid of my T anymore. Got off all medication, I feel prayers and being positive is helping a lot. In a few yrs I feel I will be fully habituated. Great advice here also ,lot of helpful ppl. Only thing is I protect my ear now when I feel uncomfortable.I have hearing loss and don't want things to get worse.

 

[david c]

As someone who has habituated to tinnitus I can say that there is a lot of rubbish written about "habituation" - a lot of it from those who want you to purchase expensive habituation therapies such as TRT.

Some people on the thread will want you to read their long and self-important articles about Habituation. Useful reading if you are suffering from tinnitus-related insomnia I suppose.

Habituation really just means getting used to having tinnitus - it doesn't mean that it stops being a pain, but over time it becomes less so. Having tried various habituation therapies I can say that the only two things that worked were time and avoiding loud noise as much as possible (but not obsessively so).

 

[New Guy]

All I got out of that thread was trying to figure out how my tongue fits in my mouth. I chuckle as I think about it. If I can spend more time thinking about how my tongue fits in my mouth I think I'm on the right path.

Ed please keep posting. You're one of the people on the forum that motivates me. I can tell you're being yourself, not trying to be positive or negative. Just sharing your experience.

 

[Red]

Have you ever noticed how your tongue lies uncomfortably in your mouth? Your teeth are in the way and it doesn't fit very well. However, your brain doesn't think about it unless you do. The same can be said about aches and pains that we tune out all the time. A negative mindset will never let go of tinnitus. I understand this. Tinnitus is a monumental task when it's really intrusive but habituation is possible. It's all in the mindset.

If something no longer bothers you then it's no longer a problem; it's as simple as that. Sometimes, I think we can become so fixated on it that professional help maybe needed to help break the cycle of negativity. I will point out that I am currently NOT habituated. Mine was broken by an obscenely loud MRI scan, but I will get back to where I was because there's no other way. I've got a daughter to look after and she can't have her father depressed.

I'll just say I know it's real because I lived it for a long time and I will again. If you disagree then that's fine. I just don't understand why some people feel the need to throw abuse around at others for just stating the facts on their own personal experience.

I'm going to make this my last post as the negativity here is mind blowing nowadays. I even get PMs giving me grief! It just isn't worth posting anymore and I definitely need to leave to get my head straight anyway. I sincerely wish you all the best and hope that you reach a place that you personally feel is a success. We can all do it.

I think I have come to disagree even though up until now I've never understood the habituation hate. I have never previously been against habituation and argued it as being a valid concept. Though I started having my suspicions of it based on how Michael Leigh described it in one of his posts.

This thread is eye-opening and the author's description does not match up with how you or anyone else has described it. Your description is better than the author's yet almost everyone here is agreeing with him. But really what does it for me is talking about the habituation of chronic pain. I have had it for more than 2 years now. I don't cry all the time like I used to or lie down all the time like I used to and I don't even pay attention to the pain like I used to.

But I have only done those things because I HAVE to. To not is to accept defeat and look for death. It is coping and what people are describing here is merely coping. But it is described as some sort of ascension that we should all strive for.

I'm unsure as to whether or not it is me that is giving you the final push to leave. I am sorry that you are getting hate mail; you do not deserve it. At least for me, I hope that others here can understand that I only wish to disagree in a civil manner. But I admit, this thread has made me upset.

Well I understand you're being sarcastic, but the honest answer is yes! Believe me or not, that would certainly help your habituation process more than the alternative.

I actually wasn't being sarcastic. In retrospective I see it would be easy to get confused with sarcasm unless you knew me personally. It was more of a resigned or a defeated statement.

So I should feel happy but I'm not. Rather, I'm in constant fear that things will get worse. I already have decreased quality of life because my chronic pain so if my tinnitus ever gets worse then I'll have to give up the few things that I have left.

 

[BobDigi]

I actually wasn't being sarcastic. In retrospective I see it would be easy to get confused with sarcasm unless you knew me personally.

My bad. I don't have pain but I do have barrets disease, bfs syndrome, ocd, health anxiety and tinnitus. I'm actually a pretty fit 39 year old. I don't drink, smoke or eat a bad diet. Yet all my friends, who seem to put no effort into their health, seem to be living life with no ailments.
I had anti-reflux surgery last October and since then I no longer get heartburn. But the operation could come loose at any time. And my barrets needs to be scoped every 3 years to check it's not turning cancerous.
I know my struggles aren't as bad as others. So I guess I just try and stay positive. And am thankful I'm not in pain and so far my barrets hasn't turned cancerous. Hopefully it never will. But if it does, I'm determined to make the most of the time Inbetween.

 

[fishbone]

Habituation is a possibility whether you have a low hiss/beginner stage of tinnitus or intrusive/loud tinnitus. It's impossible for people with loud/intrusive tinnitus to not hear it. Even if you do hear it, you are not emotionally wrapped up and obsessed with the noise.

People with intrusive tinnitus can still read books, go shopping and live a normal life. If the environment is loud, then plug in your ear plugs if you have to. This thread has been beaten to a pulp, so so many times. Habituation is real if you want it to be or it can not exist. It depends on the type of person you are, limited thinking will argue against it. The negative people will fight this, and say this is a myth. Let them do this, it only holds them back, I and those that are in favor of this live our lives and actually live a pretty decent life as well

 

[GregCA]

My therapist describes this as "hearing it, but not listening to it". In other words, it's still there but you're not having an emotional response as a result.

I think this does make sense up to a certain threshold. I usually use the wedding ring analogy: in the beginning it bothers you, but then you get used to it and you don't notice it anymore. If someone was to tell you you can't ever remove it anymore, it would give you some psychological distress, but not physiological distress, since countless people wear it for life without worrying about it. It doesn't hurt.

But if that ring was red hot at 100 degrees Celsius and burned you constantly, the distress would be physiological more than psychological. I don't listen to my T, but its existence creates a physiological distress that is hardwired into my body, the same way we tend to pull our hands away when we get burned before the realization that we got burned even reaches our consciousness. I'd characterize it as "sensory" pain, even though I couldn't qualify it in terms of "stabbing, pinching, burning, etc" as these representations aren't very good matches for sensory processes.

 

[fishbone]

My therapist describes this as "hearing it, but not listening to it". In other words, it's still there but you're not having an emotional response as a result.

Majority of the people I see visit this site are in a panic state so not able to understand how this process could ever be possible. But it can, and it does. Time is your friend.

Very rare, but a nice post on this topic.