In What Situations Do Some Habituated People Not Hear Their Tinnitus?

I have been wondering about something.

Some people who have been habituated to their tinnitus sometimes say that they rarely hear the sound anymore or at least not all the time.....they often forget they have it.

But I'm wondering is it when they are active and stay busy they don't notice it? or can they sit down and do something inactive like watch a movie or a series, or read a book and still forget about the sound?

I am a big lover of movies and watch several during a week and it makes me sad to think that I may never watch a movie again without the noise of the tinnitus in the background......or am I wrong?

 

@TheDanishGirl
There are two types of habituation. Habituation of reaction and habituation of perception. The first one involves the fact of not feeling any distress that T might evoke to oneself by listening to it. The latter is literally the ability to tune out your tinnitus. Actually the brain is trained to ignore the sound by not considering it as something important. It's like the party effect when you can filter the environmental sound so you can listen to your buddy that talks to you. I haven't habituated yet to tell you from experience. However few acquaintances of mine have and they told me that it's like not having tinnitus. Personally I'm not a believer/fan of the habituation theory as an answer to intrusive/severe tinnitus. If it's mild and stable yes. It happens by nature. For the cases with intrusive tinnitus things are different and the habituation approach is one of the many reasons why tinnitus isn't considered as a debilitating condition that needs attention, research and an effective treatment that would provide sincere relief.
All the best.
V.

 

after six months and clearly partially habituated i can certainly say, that u can sit on a chair or on the couch and watch a movie, while the focus lays on the entertainment. But at first, i thought that, too. Gladly for me i can enjoy movies and on 50% of the time i don't even register it. But it must be a very good movie or series

 

I know so many people that say that they don't hear it unless they think about it. At least a dozen since I got T. My mom too. I know for my mom and husband that they can be in a completely silent room and not notice it at all.

 

@Aschenherz first of all I missed you. Secondly I am truly glad that you're doing better.
Xxx
V.

 

I feel like I am partially habituated LOL I hear it but it doesn't seem to bother me that much a good deal of the time.
At first, I think I panicked for a bit. Now when it is there, I just go on about my business with it and there are days when I don't feel it that much at all.

When I am very involved in an activity, I really forget about it. Not sure if it is gone or I am just really distracted. This last week I have had more good days. Due in part...I think to taking magnesium for a week and a day, my sleep has been much better which is something that really makes a difference for me.

Try not to think about it too much. Really delve into what you are doing and shift your focus as best you can. I think in the long run, that helps tremendously.

 

Sounds like they don't have t then!

 

Hi @TheDanishGirl

As time passes your tinnitus will recede into the background and you will be able to enjoy movies even if your tinnitus is present. @vermillion has given a very good description of the habituation process. I have habituated twice and written several posts on it, one that I will paste below. Habituation does have it's limitations because if tinnitus is loud and intrusive enough it is very difficult to habituate to. Thankfully this is not a common occurrence for the majority of people that have mild to moderate tinnitus. My tinnitus can reach severe levels and therefore, I am unable to read a book on my Kindle or listen to music on my HI-FI when it's like this. I am a positive thinking person and do not dwell on it too much. I was unable to read a book for two years because my tinnitus was intrusive for most of the time.

Michael


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

 

@Michael Leigh when it is severe you can't read books even with background sounds playing?

 

@Sam Bridge
HI Sam,
The type of tinnitus that I have when it's severe, is so lound and intrusive I don't even want to turn on the computer, watch television listen to music nothing! It is horrible, loud and very debilitating and imposible to habituate to and that's why some people do the unthinkable to themselves when they can't cope with the noise. Other times like today it is so quiet I can hear a pin drop.

It's true I was unable to read a book for 2 years and have to say was one of the lowest points in my life. After 2 years of TRT, my tinnitus had improved but not like the first time. I asked my consultant to be candid with me about my condition. She said I was the second worst tinnitus patient she had met in all her years of being an Audiovestibular consultant. I wanted the floor to open and swallow me whole. I asked for the truth and I got it. She then said something that gave me hope and I quote: " I will never give up on treating you". She kept to her word and prescribed me clonazepam and kept in contact with my hearing therapist, GP on how I was coping and set up regular appointments for me to see her. She is a great physician and can't thank her enough.

Michael

 

@TheDanishGirl - Becoming habituated:

I remember when I first realized I had tinnitus; it was the winter, steam was being given fairly often but there were long stretches in between. I, thinking the steam was on did not realize there was an interloper who stole secretly in and would come to disturb my peace and quiet. One day I thought to check the steam for some reason and lo and behold...it was not on which seemed very perplexing to me. Ah ha!!! It was the culprit tinnitus! Well.. needless to say I was very upset and disturbed. Before seeking an ENT appointment, wanted to give it some time and see if it would pass on its own since I am not one who is overly fond of doctors (even though I do go for my routine checkups). I waited and waited and then I waited some more but I realized I had tinnitus and it didn't appear to go away by itself. I didn't understand the cause since I always disliked and became annoyed by loud sounds (music, tv, voices, etc.) and I never used earbuds, earphones or played loud music so the underlying reason was a mystery. Later on I put together that following a prolonged period of extreme, unremitting stress, this was the culprit.

I find that when I am completely absorbed in my craft and creating my website, amazingly my tinnitus retreats to the background and I am not aware of it, fortunately. However, when I make a conscious effort to listen for it.... oh... it's definitely present and making itself known. Although I can not speak for the type and volume of other sufferer's tinnitus, I do think that it takes much effort to force yourself to take up something which you had let go for a time due to the symptoms one experiences. I understand those who are/had been musicians find it difficult to resume playing and I feel badly when I hear that but I if I am correct, I had read that if they use protection they can resume their interest. Prior to getting tinnitus I had become intrigued when I heard the Native American flute, ordered two and looked forward to playing them. I think I picked it up two or three times already while wearing musician's ear plugs but didn't pursue it again. I also enjoyed playing the harmonica and from time to time I do that still. It must be far easier for those who don't have music-related hobbies to again resume.

For me, after a while I realized I was concentrating on just listening to my tinnitus rather than watching TV, listening to the radio, cd player or just trying to relax and so that became my focal point rather than enjoying what was happening.
I think, since the inception of my tinnitus... in a very subtle way I was adjusting to the new reality and internalizing it as my "new normal". I do have spikes from time to time and I earnestly try not to become too upset and hope they return to baseline at least but I realize that no matter what occurs.. I have no choice but to try to adjust. I do really understand that some members here have very intrusive tinnitus and blocking techniques are difficult to adopt but after reading the many "Success Stories" here, I hope all members are heartened and encouraged and then ...go on to habituate.

Wishing everyone a day with hope.

Barbara

 

My boyfriend has T as well and he definitely has habituated to the stage where he cannot hear it at all. Even when he's going to sleep or reading a magazine in total silence. He can hear it only when he really starts listening to it and try to find the sound. He has tried to describe to me how does it sound like and it is quite disturbing I have to say. He also says that in those times when he can hear it, he just acknowledges the presence of the sound but it doesn't trigger any kind of reaction in him. He just says ok, now I can hear it, and then moves on to whatever he was about to do and forgets the sound again. But he is the kind of person who is not obsessing these kind of things and just accepts whatever has happened and moves on. It seems to be very simple in his mind. He's had T for over 10 years so of course he's had a lot of time to habituate.

I've had T only one year now and he has been the best support to me with this and giving tips how to cope with the situation. For me the bad thing is that I'm the kind of a person who's obsessing and freaking out about these kind of things so it has probably been much harder for me try to habituate. I have always been a bit hypocondric and neurotic with all kinds of things and after getting T I was sure my life as I knew it was over and I cannot or want to live with it. But it took about six months to habituate for me. My T is quite mild I think so that's probably the reason why it happened so fast. Although it felt like 3 years because the process was pure hell. A lot of sleepless nights, panic attacks, crying, just hearing the sound 24/7 etc. I was also in the situation where I couldn't hear T when going to sleep or if I did I could turn it off again by start thinking about other things. It just went quiet to the background. It's hard try to explain it. I could also watch tv and go through days and weeks not hearing it at all. Unless I started really listen to it. I was in a place where it didn't bother me one bit and if I heard the sound I just acknowledged it and moved on. I didn't react in any way to the sound, it just became part of me and my normal sound environment.

Now I'm in the situation where I have got some new sounds and found myself back to square one again but now I have more faith to the habituation process and I know that I will make it, although it will take some time and effort.

I know that it will happen again but this phase is always hard when you have to start all over again and having sleepless nights etc. Well you know. I hope this helps someone who is struggling at the moment as well and gives hope. This was by the way my first post, just joined in