After reading many of the posts here I feel very fortunate to have been T free for so long. I am 53 now and my ringing started two years ago and although mild compared to most, it's still a grim permanent reminder of my frailty as a human. I worked for four years as grounds maintenance crew at the Boulder Country Club - hours and hours of pushing a lawn mower or a weed eater or operating any number of noisy equipment. I also played drums in a band for years and let's see, oh yes, spent several years on three different aircraft carriers while I was in the Navy - nothing like hearing an F-14 taking off, over and over and over. I realize now that I am fortunate that I can hear as well as I do - I am what is considered an Audiophile as I have been very interested in high end audio equipment for many years and have quite an expensive and sophisticated music system and a separate home theater system. I can still enjoy both, and I am very thankful. Interestingly, I have periods with no T symptoms lasting as long as several hours or even several days. Also, without fail, if I have several drinks, the T will disappear. Yay - it's still depressing though. It is reassuring to know so many others suffer too. It certainly does suck (pardon the vulgarity).