Recovered from Tinnitus or the Anxiety Associated with Tinnitus?

I have a way of stating things in a direct, matter of fact way, so I apologize in advance if this offends anyone, that isn't at all my intention.

The success stories in this forum are a great resource. It offers some hope or light at the end of the tunnel for some. And it's true that many cases of acute tinnitus resolve on their own. I understand most of the members of this forum do not fall into that category, and it is more of a chronic condition.

Getting to the point, I've been reading through some of these, and often times, when someone states they are "cured" of their tinnitus, they are referring to being cured or resolving the anxiety associated with their tinnitus. The tinnitus itself seems unchanged, only the perception of it has changed.

Meaning, finding a way to cope, or minimizing the psychological aspect of this illness is not curing the underlying medical illness or cause. These are completely separate issues tied to the same source.

I guess I'm just thinking out loud here, but there should maybe be some differentiation here. Two people who suffer the same type and volume of tinnitus; One could be like "meh, whatever, it's annoying", and could have it affect their life minimally or not at all. For another the person could be distraught, suicidal, and unable to focus on anything else. That seems to be more in line with coping strategies and personality, etc.

I meandered again. I guess the way I would view a "cure" to tinnitus is a medical one, with a true diminishing or resolution of tinnitus. Developing a coping strategy or addressing the anxiety associated with tinnitus is still a success, but I'm not sure I'd call that being cured. Just my two cents.

 

Do you think there is much difference between not having tinnitus and hearing it only once a week for 5 minutes?

To be honest, when it comes to volume and tones the only thing I really care about is that mine doesn't get worse.

I believe it's possible to eliminate emotional relationship with the sound completely and hence make the brain filter it out completely. Why I think it's true? Look at Back to Silence.