Poll: How Long It Took Until You Started to Feel OK Again?

i am curious for those who feel ok even with tinnitus.. how long did it take for u to get there....

 

Great question. It will help alot of people to understand that habituation, and having T under control is a slow process, and will take away alot of the anxiety that it causes.

I took me around 1 year.

Regards!

 

Probably largely depends on volume and the ability to mask it I would guess.

 

It has been 4 months for me and I do not feel any better yet. I think the real reason why T keeps us away from feelingn better is that it hinders our social abilities like attending a class, watching a movie or reading a book. I'm a college student and it is all but destroyed my education.

 

I don't think so, entirely. Neurological correlates of loud tinnitus volume are related to the thalamus, and neurological correlates of tinnitus distress are related to the insula.

For any given person, they may feel more distress as the volume increases (this seems logical), but some people tolerate "loud" tinnitus without distress, while others are very distressed about "quiet" tinnitus.

 

Well I have the personality that I would probably be distressed by "quiet" tinnitus yet I can hear mine just about everywhere.
I'm sure some people more easily tolerate loud tinnitus than others, but there were several studies done that seem to indicate the ability to mask tinnitus is a strong predictor of how well a person adjusts to it. I think Markku posted it a while back, but I can't seem to be able to find it at the moment.

Just from reading these forums I have seen a number of people that can only hear their tinnitus in quiet places come in very distressed, then after a few months they start habituating.

I have had the volume matching measured in a sound booth (DBSL). But I think a more important factor is how easily it is masked.

 

Answering for my dad which is 1 year. So jealous he can let go of things so quickly. He says his tinnitus has almost completely gone away. Man I wish I had that superpower

 

It's taken me nearly four years to get where I am now. Where it doesn't bother me anymore . Maybe it's because I've excepted it. I don't know. But I've had nearly four years of mental torchur of continuous thinking of my tinnitus and this constant sound in my head and ear. Yes it's still there and it's loud at times but it doesn't bother me any more. Habituate! yes one can but it takes time and patience and you have to believe that this this will happen . Hope this comment is a help to someone out there who are suffering from tinnitus. it does get better but it takes time. That's all I can really say at this time. thinking of you all on this forum . God bless you all.

 

For me, 25 months in and I'm still in Hell. Although, I have had more tolerable days then ever before, they don't seem to last. T is a very fickle and nasty customer, when it's perceived, as loud and high pitched! Billy48, I don't know how you do it, but I'm trying!

 

It has been 3 months for me and I think I am starting to feel better. By better, I mean emotionally. This T certainly isn't any quieter. I have a lot of blessings. I'm not going to let this ridiculous noise ruin my life.

 

This is encouraging ... more than 60% of respondents actually feel ok after sometime ! I did not expect to find this. I expected very few people to feel ok in Tinnitustalk. This gives newbies hope that there is somekind of light at the end of this dark and long tunnel.

 

There are also a ton of people who habilitate and never return to this forum (probably because they don't want to be reminded of T).. Therefore, I think the habilitate % is much higher than 60%.

I'm still struggling but determined to join that group soon!!

 

I'd like to see a "how loud is your T" or "how easily it can be masked" correlated with how long it took you to habituate.

 

Me as well. I follow your post with interest, since your t seems to be a little similar. I have variations in intensity though. First the variations altered within hours, but now they seem to change more within days or weeks. Unfortunately I can tell that during the good episodes, e.g. when its not noticeable during car drives I'm almost happy again and could say habituated. You learn to avoid some calm situations, find helpful masking sounds and good it is. But if it accompanies you all day long...it's really a different thing. It makes me miserable, tired and petrifies me.
Like now for the last 5 days. The two weeks before I stayed away from TT and remember to have said to myself T is no issue anymore. In absolute terms the loudness difference is not huge, maybe factor 2, but for me its life changing.

 

I think these threads are inherently flawed, mainly due to how many people say they're OK, but are still checking into this site. You guys are a great support for me at the moment - but I won't be saying I'm OK and still logging in here frequently.

happy to be facebook friends... but this? habituated should mean you dont think about this all day. no?

 

You're right. This site is full of blind optimism, false hope and lies. Even those not on the forum who have tinnitus just "habituate" to it - and "habituation" means that they still have the same agonizing tinnitus, but are trying to live - albeit at a far lesser quality of life than before. How else are we supposed to keep ourselves alive? I'm personally 100% disabled by this.

 

Hi John,
Just to be fair here, being habituated does not mean you don't miss silence, that's for sure. I consider myself habituated -I have me T since March 2015 noise induced after loud concert. It was my first concert in years, the most stupid thing I did is I was offered the eraplugs at a concert by my friend and I said "no I don't need them, I like it loud". And so I am, with mild tinnitus (I would rate it 1-2) which still upsets me at times. I learnt not to react emotionally to it, but life for sure is not the same is it was before. I think no matter how intrusive your tinnitus is, might be mild but even if habituated you still miss silence. I try to stay busy which for sure helps, I do all the things I was doing before having T, but blissful silence is gone for good. At least until someone find a cure, which will hopefully happen soon.

 

My husband has very loud tinnitus and has never had any anxiety issues over it. His T came from a butane gas cylinder exploding in a very narrow closet while he was looking for the problem, sticking his head in the closet. Couldn't hear anything for a week and still has loud tinnitus but has completely habituated. He has pulsating tinnitus too. I don't know how the hell he does it. I think his brain is wired differently...

I am in my 7th month now and sometimes feel happy again. Distraction is key. For me loudness plays a big role. Have to stop ruminating over T. Mmmm.... I should not be here....Bye!

 

Had moderate T&H, was mostly habituated after 1,5 years or so. Now I've recently had a setback, the intensity of both my T and H went to 'severe', so back to square one.

 

Keep in mind that this site attracts more people that are struggling with T than those who have already overcome it.

For the question, it took me about 2 months to get out of "Hell," and 5 months for it to have very little impact on my life. I am on month 6, and I am confident that I will reach total habituation at some point.

 

I actually came to check this site today because recently I've realized how much progress I've made in overcoming my T. I think there are a decent number of people here who've overcame T who visit to support those still struggling. I'll admit I am still not 100% over my T, but it's come to the point that even everyday issues at work are more stressful than my T (and my job is in no way stressful).

 

It definitely depends on how severe tinnitus is, like mine, jet engines in my ears, plus electronic sounds very loud, power transformer high pitch in my head and ssssssss sound everything together and very loud, one year never going down, how am I supposed to get habituated to this hell.

 

Nearly 5 months in. No habituation as such. Getting to grips slowly with sleeping. However new noises hamper recovery. In the end its up to the limbic system over which my conscious mind has no control. Once it stops hearing the noise as a threat then habituation can kick in.

 

Started with SSHL 4/2/16 took 6weeks to get rid of suicidal ideation! Inability to concentrate and insomnia! It was hell!!!!
Now it's 31/2 months and T is loud but I had a few days that it got better!!! Softer less intrusive,
I am hoping this is the start of habituation!

 

So good that hear that @Dominic1955! Are you using Xanax and Remeron or have you been able to quit?

 

Yes I stopped the Remron, I take 0.25 of Xanax mg still at night to sleep.
I have started TRT and use bilateral hearing aids with maskers, I am not sure if it's helping

 

Thanks Mentos. Yes, I have about a 6 in my right ear and nothing in my left. That is becuase I was cupping my right ear like a goof during very loud guitar solos at the Sept, 2015 concert I was at.

On a brighter note, I saw a couple concerts last Friday and was okay with no increase in T. I wore a plug in my right ear for some of the loud parts of the concert but left it out for the most part. -- It would be really hard for me to duplicate that same level of noise like last Sept but I still keep my plugs on me at all times and throw them in when there is a chance.

I'm going back in the gym tomorrow after a week off. So far, working out helps me the most at coping with Mr T.

Happy Habilitating!

 

Hi John,
You are brave to attend conceert even with T, I gave up concert since my T onset.I'm affraid of a risk, I don't think I could bear any increase in my T after noise exposure.

All the best,
Michal

 

As "Alue" mentioned, I think habilitation is more about not noticing it (as much) than the actual volume going down.

I was watching TV last night and towards the end of the evening, I was like "Wow! I didn't even really hear my T!" (because my brain is starting to ignore it)

Don't get me wrong, my T is back, however, I will get busy again today and won't notice it as much.

Although I can tie it back to something stupid I did 10 months ago, I am trying hard to forget that day and move on with my life. -- I'm getting there sloooowly but surely..

 

I would really like to see more people answer this poll.