Is Habituation Possible If You're Depressed?

So, is it possible to habituate while you're depressed because of T. My reaction to T seems neutral (I think). I don't really panic that much anymore when I hear it. But I am generally depressed because of T. I feel sad and I feel as if life's pleasures have been taken away from me. I cry a lot. I think my depression will fade if I'm habituated but won't my depression prevent habituation from happening? Should I first solve my depression before I can habituate?

 

Well I have general anxiety and I feel as though I have habituated somewhat. The sounds certainly don't bother me too much any more (they are of course frustrating) and there are more good days than bad days now. I know anxiety and depression are not synonymous but whenever my T is bad my anxiety goes up, much like your depression may get worse, but when my T is good my anxiety goes way down. The 2 are certainly connected but I think that you will be able to fully habituate with your depression. It's just a case of trying to remember that it could be worse and just trying to keep yourself busy and focused on leading a good life. That's what I'm trying to do anyway. I hope that sort of answers your question.

 

@Lisa123 , if your depression is caused by T how can you solve your depression before you can habituate? I think, if habituation works it can only be first hab. than solve the depression. But I am no way there.

 

Lisa123 wrote:
So, is it possible to habituate while you're depressed because of T. My reaction to T seems neutral (I think). I don't really panic that much anymore when I hear it. But I am generally depressed because of T. I feel sad and I feel as if life's pleasures have been taken away from me. I cry a lot. I think my depression will fade if I'm habituated but won't my depression prevent habituation from happening? Should I first solve my depression before I can habituate?

Work on solving your tinnitus and your depression will resolve itself. You are half way there as you said you don't panic any longer and you feel neutral as far as reaction goes so be positive and let it happen. Also don't confuse sadness with depression because they are not the same.

 

How to help us not to get too depressed by the presence of T in our life? Perhaps try to work on the mental side of the battle with T. Instead of letting it take the main stage of your life, try to minimize it by countering all the negative or distorted thoughts. These are called cognitive distortions in CBT and they tend to affect our mental stability. So we need to counter them by writing down the thoughts and counter with more positive ones. Google 'cognitive distortions' and you will see a long list of such distorted thoughts which can contribute to depression if we don't counter them.

I used to feel sad and scared about my T. I thought my future was going to be all dark and disastrous (called Catastrophic Thinking), and I thought my life would be no more fun & not worth living (All or Nothing Thinking), etc. etc. Then I tried to counter them one by one, writing down all the positives in my life other than T. Then I thought I should treat life like going to a beautiful park with family or friends. There you have beautiful flower blooming and green trees plus fresh air. Should I focus on the beauty all around me, enjoying the sweet time with family or friends, or should I turn my focus on the dog/bird poo at some scattered spots in the park? Should I remember my park visit by the wonderful experience or should I put all my attention to the poo and get very negative about the experience?

Life is full of imperfections. T is one. But T is just a slice of life. It can be minimized, ignored and habituated over time. By living life abundantly regardless of T, we can learn to live our life in peaceful co-existence with T and even bury it along the way. I detail 10 points in my success story post to help a newer member to get better. You can read that and other members' stories too to get some insights how they battle with T and win.

 

IMO you can't solve depression if it is pegged to your T, the underlaying issue has to be solved first.

 

I am depressed. It's no fun. I've even been hospitalised because of it and I'm taking ADs. I'm not confusing anything

 

@Lisa123

Many T sufferers (in particular with severe T) suffer from depression and anxiety. This is very common for chronic illnesses or conditions you cannot change. And indeed, it is no fun.

Once habituation kicks in, depression and anxiety will go down. I take Remeron (30 mg) against my depression. I cannot tell if it does anything for me.

 

So you believe habituation is possible even if you're depressed?

 

Yes. I think so. Habituation is possible even with depression. If you are depressed because of T (as you mentioned above), if you habituate, your depression and anxiety will go down. If I am ok with my T (on some milder days), I feel much better, less depressed, less anxious. Unfortunately my standard days are difficult to handle. And then of course more depression and more anxiety.

The overall question is how to habituate and how to no longer react to T. I think that the more severe and intrusive it is, the longer it takes.