How Did You Learn To Not Let Your Tinnitus Affect Your Concentration?

[Dawn Whinetaker]

It took me a long time to get used to my Tinnitus. Especially when I was in a place that had no other background noise- it was very difficult for me to concentrate. I work in an office setting now and it's extremely difficult to focus when it's quiet in there. With that being said- I can't have background noise going that would affect other people's work. I noticed that having a small desktop fan on my desk helped a little with background noise, and I'd also play the radio on a very low setting with earphones. I just needed something to help me concentrate- and background noise seemed to do that. How did you learn to concentrate, even with the constant sound happening?

 

[erik]

I think once I focus on a task, I tend to mostly forget about my T or even if I hear it, I can ignore it. That level took a while to get to. The first year to 15 months was rough as far as ignoring my T goes. But now I can easily forget about it if I heavily involved in a project. I work in an office setting which can be quiet. However, because I have my own office, I always have Pandora or something playing which also helps.

I think having a fan on and low headphone music should help you. Ignoring T is kinda of skill that develops over time. I don't have it 100% perfected and it is still a work on progress. There are times when it is harder to ignore but I don't let it affect my work.

 

[Mentos]

I play rain sounds or white noise or pink noise when in my office, I also use in-ear maskers when I have to attend a meeting when playing background noise loudly is not possible. Still after 2 years my concentration is far from what it was prior to T, I think tkat my intellectual abilities are no more than 50% of what I used to be prior to T. I simply can't take my mind of T almost every minute of a daytime no matter if I hear it or not. I just never forget it's there. I only recently learnt how not to react emotionally to my T, but concentration on tasks, movies, books etc. is still difficult for me. I do all these things but when ie. I read my mind is only partially following the thread, the other part is constantly aware of T and monitors it.

 

[Jake007]

I think tkat my intellectual abilities are no more than 50% of what I used to be prior to T. I simply can't take my mind of T almost every minute of a daytime no matter if I hear it or not.

That's exactly how I feel, even if don't "hear" it I'm constantly thinking about it.

 

[Tom Cnyc]

That's exactly how I feel, even if don't "hear" it I'm constantly thinking about it.

Mine fluctuates a lot, sometimes getting very quiet. I think about it most thed ay as well, even if I'm feeling fine.

That said - no matter how loud it is - I usually wear headphones with no sound playing at work to quiet the chatter around me. This serves to make my T louder, but oddly still helps my concentration. There is another guy at my office who has T also. He does the exact same thing.

Reasonably you learn to just work through it. I find it affects my patience more than my concentration these days.

 

[Mentos]

That's exactly how I feel, even if don't "hear" it I'm constantly thinking about it.

That's our fate I'm affraid... any problem in my life that was not solved was even in the past constantly on my mind. Now that's how I feel with my T

 

[Mentos]

That's our fate I'm affraid... any problem in my life that was not solved was even in the past constantly on my mind. Now that's how I feel with my T

Well actually I noticed I do forget about my T: when playing on my playstation and sometimes when watching a movie in a cinema

 

[Jake007]

That's our fate I'm affraid... any problem in my life that was not solved was even in the past constantly on my mind. Now that's how I feel with my T

I'm 4 months in and not doing good with it all. I wish we could think of something else besides t. Nobody should have to live they're life like this.

 

[Jake007]

Well actually I noticed I do forget about my T: when playing on my playstation and sometimes when watching a movie in a cinema

I'm scared to death to go to the movies now. Playing my ps4 does help but I simply cannot stop thinking about it or that I have it.

 

[Mentos]

I'm scared to death to go to the movies now. Playing my ps4 does help but I simply cannot stop thinking about it or that I have it.

I'm 2 years in and it's also on my mind almost every waking hour. But it does not imply such distress as in a first year; still annoying. I live one day at a time and mask it 24/7. That's all we can do for the moment. My wife instead who has it for 13 years now forgets about it for hours during the day when she does not hear it, and she definitely is not obsessing about it. Depends on personality I guess.

 

[linearb]

I've been seriously ADD since I was like four, so tinnitus just became a focal point for distraction and not the genesis of it.

Therefore, it hasn't really adversely affected my concentration, as much as given me one particular distraction to own instead of constantly noticing squirrels running by the window.

@Mentos I'd say I'm in the same boat as your wife, if I'm doing something really engrossing then hours can slip by without a conscious thought about it... sometimes even when it's really spiking or being super inconsistent.

 

[Jake007]

@linearb

How long have you had t?

 

[Jake007]

I'm 2 years in and it's also on my mind almost every waking hour. But it does not imply such distress as in a first year; still annoying. I live one day at a time and mask it 24/7. That's all we can do for the moment. My wife instead who has it for 13 years now forgets about it for hours during the day when she does not hear it, and she definitely is not obsessing about it. Depends on personality I guess.

I am definitely obsessing on it, my personality is not good to have for t. For me it still feels like the end of the world.

 

[Mentos]

I am definitely obsessing on it, my personality is not good to have for t. For me it still feels like the end of the world.

Well it's a life changing experience and end of life we new till now. We need to learn from the beginning how to live with it with as little impact on our lives as possible. Try to do all the things you were doing before and it will become easier to bear. Hopefully effective treatment will be found in our lifetime

 

[Candy]

@Mentos have u tried not masking for a while? It's torture to begin with but I found that after a while I have phases when even if it's loud it goes to the back of my brain if I am busy. Then sometimes, like today, it is loud and at the forefront...however if I mask the t/masker sound goes to the back of my brain less often...very peculiar.
Also in the evening my t is always louder...if I've been wearing maskers it's super loud.
What do you use to mask when you're not at your desk?
My main struggle is leisure time without friends to talk to, say we just go out as a couple...mega aware of it - and yes I will admit that I have an anxious personality but how can people not be irritated by it on a nice day out? Is your wife's t bad?? Is it hissy?

 

[Jake007]

Hopefully effective treatment will be found in our lifetime

That's kept me in good spirits in the first month's. Now it just seems hopeless that there will be a treatment. Any kind of permanent reduction would be huge for everyone.

 

[linearb]

@linearb

How long have you had t?

since 1999, but only really loud since 2010

 

[linearb]

That's kept me in good spirits in the first month's. Now it just seems hopeless that there will be a treatment. Any kind of permanent reduction would be huge for everyone.

I think that hoping for a different experience of life in the future is a trap.

Working on accepting the current moment exactly as it is, without judgement, is my path.