Silence and Habituation

For those of you "fully" habituated. The ones that say they can't hear their tinnitus unless they seek it. Can you hear silence? I mean when you are in a quiet room, do you hear your T or nothing? If nothing, can you enjoy it or by thinking about it the T comes back?

Thank you

 

No they don't hear silence , their tinnitus is pretty much there - however their brains do not care anymore therefore they don't listen for it. If they look around, it's there. It's like the chair you're sitting on, you're on it but it won't draw your attention unless you think "i'm sitting on a chair".

If someone says they "hear" silence, it would mean they are cured from tinnitus, which is not what habituation is about at all.

 

Habituation is in my opinion no more than getting used to the sound and having no emotional reaction to it. But silence is gone anyway. That's why habituation cannot be considered as treatment or a cure, it's something doctors put in place to promote in the absence of real treatment. It's like "habitutation" to defness, blindness or any other disability. There's no cure so you need to habituate, get used to new condition you're in.

 

My experience is that your never completed habituated. I go a week or so that I can lead a normal life and then for some reason the T smacks me in the head and all I can think about is the T and the suffering begins again.
I have had T for 3 years and there hasn't been a day that I haven't noticed my T its just some days its real bothersome and some its ok i can live with it.

 

Well not necessarily, my wife has T as long as she can remember (cricket sounds in her head), she never complains about it, never really looked for professional help, she just accepts it as a part of life like contact lenses she has to wear. She is happy and does not give a shit about her T. And what's kind of funny she likes silence, ie. she has difficulty sleeping when I turn on masking nature sound to have a good sleep, she works and studies in silence, I can honestly say she does not give a T second thought, never! If I ask her if she does not miss silence she says silence does not exist. That's it. My sister as well says she never hears silence but is not annoyed but it - the only thing is she does not really like being in silence so when she works, studies or relaxes she always have some sounds on, usually music. The only time she really complains about tinnitus is that when she puts her earbuds in to listen to music she notices T more and than she removes her earbuds. Of course both my wife and sister have we can say mild to moderate T so surely it's different than in severe cases.

Me too have mild T and I wish I could reach that state of mind 1 day; I'm still quite far from that 1.5years after onset. It's amezing how some people can really habituate to the point where it does not bother them and others struggle everyday to accept it. Part of me still rejects the idea of T and being robbed of silence. I can say I live normal life, do things I should and want to do, but I lost a joy of life. Hopefully not forever.

 

@Mentos You can habituate the same as everyone else. It truly is a wonder. I have only had T for 7 weeks and the Back to Silence method may have saved my life.

I used to LOVE the silence. I would sleep most nights with ear plugs just to enjoy the perfect silence. I would sit in a still and quiet room with ear plugs in to enjoy it even more. I loved getting lost in the silence. Silence was my bliss.

I lost that peace 7 weeks ago and was thrown to what I can only describe as rock bottom.

The first 6 weeks were absolute torture. It pains me to know that there are people out there going through what I just went through. I want them all to know about and apply the back to silence method with everything they have.

@Mentos "Part of me still rejects the idea of T and being robbed of silence." This is an idea you are going to have to let go of. My initial progress was made when I said "I accept that I have tinnitus. It is okay that I have tinnitus." I said these words out loud to myself. And I meant them.

One day a cure will come along and I think it is important to maintain this hope. - But until then, we have to deal with the emotional damage T causes. That is the key to beating this condition. T can severely drag down the quality of your life. But it can be beaten. I promise.

Accept you have it.

Commit to beating it.

Do I hear my T? - Sometimes.
Do I give a rip? - No.

The mind is an extremely powerful thing.

As Winston Churchill once said, "If you're going through hell, keep going."

TAKE CARE OF YOUR EARS, AND TEACH EVERYONE YOU KNOW TO DO THE SAME.

 

You seem to be a strong man Shadowboxer, especially that you indulged in silence a lot in the past. I was never particularly obsessed about silence before T, I could work and relax with music or surrounded by noise. I just became obsessed with missing silence after T onset. Can I ask you do you usually mask your T or you let it buzz and you don't care? I usually mask with rain sounds, it calms me down. Sometimes in the evenings I give up masking when watching TV or relaxing on the sofa and T does not really bother me much. But it depends a lot on my current mood, mornings are worse, afternoons / nights are better. With regards to masking and habituation I belong to local Tinnitus suport group in my city and the leader of a group who has T for 30 years says he still avoids silence and masks a lot so it looks as if habituation does not have to mean you fully accept the T sound.
In my view the quality of life is significantly reduced even if you have habituated. The thing is that some people can quite easily accept nsetlyreduced quality of life and move on with almost normal life without anxiety, for some it's much more difficult to accept the condition, me included.

Can you beat T? Well, I don't know what would it mean honestly, for me everyday is a fight with T, there are better days and worse days. It's like with any other disability, you can limit an impact it has on your daily life, but you can't "beat" your disability, it's just there with you.

On positive side I really hope that the theory about cochlear synaptopathy being the cause of T will turn out to be true as there is a realistic idea how to restore the demage with neutrophins. We will get to know about it in the coming years. Stay strong.

 

@Jean-Philippe
Some people believe habituation means they will no longer hear the tinnitus but this is incorrect. However, it’s true that for some people their tinnitus has reduced to such a low level they hardly ever hear it. By contrast, others hear their tinnitus mild or moderate in background and can live quite contently doing all the things they want to because their brain has learned to ignore it, and that’s what habituation is – learning to live with something. It takes time but can be achieved by most people even if your tinnitus spikes occasionally.

 

Please have respect that intensity and character of T can be very different. Just because you can habituate or not hearing your T most of the day doesn't mean even close that it applies to everyone else too. It's not about acceptance or listening for it. When it reaches a certain level of being bothersome (subjective maybe yes) then nothing will undo it. I know because my T is severe and changes every single second. How do you habituate or not hear that? I don't feel sorry for myself but want to give respect for everyone who goes through severe T and don't get the recongnition they deserve because some people come here and says that it's all about acceptance, not listening for it, going on with their lives etc.

 

@PatrickG I fully agree with you. I have very severe tinnitus that ranges from: silent, mild, moderate, severe and extremely severe. I have to take clonazepam when it's severe. It is for this reason I wrote: Answers to Hyperacusis and Habituation:

Answers to Hyperacusis and Habituation

Two questions often asked about tinnitus are: How long does it take to habituate? How do I know if I have hyperacusis?

One of the main causes of tinnitus is exposure to loud noise. Quite often though hyperacusis, (sensitivity to sounds) accompanies the condition. This is because the nerves in the auditory pathway have been subjected to noise trauma and thus become highly sensitised. Hyperacusis can be extremely painful. It can cause tinnitus to spike sometimes making it last for days until it settles down again. Within this time the person affected can be in a lot of discomfort.

Music that was once pleasurable to listen to through a home music system or radio is now an ordeal so one prefers not to listen to it. The closing of doors, washing up of kitchen plates and cutlery is enough to send a person running for cover, as it can feel like a pneumatic drill is piercing through your ears and head. It can become such a problem a person is afraid to venture outside their home in fear of road traffic noise sparking an increase in their tinnitus due to their sensitivity to sound.

One of the best ways to treat hyperacusis is by using “sound enrichment”. This can be achieved in many ways but I one of the best to wear white noise generators. Two should be worn to keep your auditory system in balance. The sound level of these devices must be adjusted correctly so as not to cause further irritation to a person’s auditory system, which can make the hyperacusis and tinnitus worse. It is best to always make sure their sound levels are set just below the tinnitus. Wngs are usually worn for up to ten hours a day. Two things are achieved over time.

The hearing system is constantly subjected to low-level non-intrusive white noise, which will help to desensitise it. Secondly, they help the brain to focus less on the tinnitus and push it further into the background making it less noticeable. This form of treatment is also known as TRT.

An alternative to wngs is to use a tabletop sound machine that plays nature sounds. This can be used for sound enrichment to help the healing process of hyperacusis. Again it is best to set the sound level just below the tinnitus. As previously explained sound machines can be very useful at night by the bedside and in the day used to fill in the background ambiance in room.

Treating hyperacusis takes time as there is no quick fix and everyone will respond to treatment differently.
Please bare in mind that a person with tinnitus and hyperacuisis, if the hyperacusis is left untreated sensitivity to sound will always remain a problem. In some cases hyperacusis can get better naturally without using sound enrichment but there is no guarantee.

A word of caution. Some people use earplugs to help suppress external sounds because of their sensitivity to sound. Earplugs are available but should only be used when in noisy surroundings and not to suppress normal every day sounds, as doing so can prevent the healing process of hyperacusis.

Habituating to Tinnitus.

Habituating to tinnitus often seems shrouded in mystery for the more seriously affected people that are in distress and have had to seek help at ENT. It can be particularly difficult for people that are new to tinnitus to comprehend. How does one know when they have habituated to their T and more importantly what does this actually mean?

The following doesn’t apply in every case of tinnitus for there are some people that have large fluctuations in their tinnitus and every day can be a different experience. This is one of the most severe forms of tinnitus and medications may be required to help cope with the condition. Habituating to this type of tinnitus is still possible to an extent but does present additional problems.

To others I will say this: You’ll know when you have habituated to your tinnitus regardless of whatever treatment you are using via ENT etc as your brain will over time push it further into the background so it becomes less significant, in a similar way to the people that have mild tinnitus. Although your tinnitus may be present and on occasions it will spike, over time it will cease to be so much of a problem unless you deliberately focus on it and bring it to the forefront of your mind.

Michael

 

Thanks for answer @Michael Leigh ! I didn't mean to rant, but that we don't underestimate people who suffer. The suffering for many is very very real and harsh. Best wishes to all of you!

 

@PatrickG You made a valid statement and I'm pleased that you did. I was medically retired from my job because of my severe tinnitus many years ago.
Some people that have tinnitus, are under the wrong impression that because there's is relatively minor then everyone else that has it is the same. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is for reason I try to help people that are having a difficult time with their tinnitus, because I know how debilitating this condition can be when it is severe.
Michael
PS: Tinintus comes in many forms and intensities and no two people experience it the same.

 

Honestly guys I think I'm quite unique example but I don't really believe I can fully habituate even though my T is mild. I have it for 1.5 years already and it's still difficult experience for me like hell. In some way I learnt to manage my emotions by masking 24/7 and usually I can overcome my anxiety, but full concentration at work is is impossible for me. I just always concentrated in the past in silence and now no matter how hard I try and what masking sound I use I simply cannot focus. And I was very successful at work prior T, I had a briliant career in corporation, reached very fast high managerial position and I was proud of myself. Now I'm close to loosing my position since managerial skills require concentration on conversations which I can't do , I'm affraid that in other kind of job like engineer or specialist lack of concentration will lead to difficulites in conducting deep analysis. Everyday I'm closer to conclude that only simple physical job will remian for me, either machine operator in the factory or car driver. And it's not I have no ambition or I gave up my life, I "only" cannot focus. What comforts me the most is staying at home listening to nature sounds or music whole day long doing basic work activities like writing emails, making phone calls etc. In the evenings reading. But whenever I try to do some real work my brain just rejects to function in noise.

Still I hope someone can help me to find my way to concentrate. My wife has T she's a teacher and she does not have any problems at work. At the same time psychiatrist I visit have a few patients with T around their thirties with pretty depressive stories since their T onset: one lost his job, another one did not manage to finish his studies, another one lost his girlfriend, another one finished studies but cannot find a job due to concentration difficulties

The problem is real no matter the severity of T. Some say I should be happy to only have mild T - well, it's not the reason to be happy. I symphatize with severe T sufferers, cancer sufferers and many disabled people worldwide, but its my life I have difficulty to lead normally. And I fully understand I have to accept my T and I think I did accept it. But acceptance does not help to lead normal life, you need to have a brain with ability to function in noise, mine can't adapt.

I would be greatful if some mild T sufferer who could not adapt in the beginning but finally found his way to do it would share his story and techniques with me. I'm just affraid that some people are born with certain skills, and some are not. The skill required to lead normal life with T is the ability to concentrate in noise. I feel I was born with many interesting skills, but this very important skill at this moment of my life I miss which makes my life a miserable existance. And if it comes to acceptance I get to the point where I have to accept both: not only T presence but also its incapacitating impact on my life

 

Honestly guys I think I'm quite unique example but I don't really believe I can fully habituate even though my T is mild. I have it for 1.5 years already and it's still difficult experience for me like hell. In some way I learnt to manage my emotions by masking 24/7 and usually I can overcome my anxiety, but full concentration at work is is impossible for me. I just always concentrated in the past in silence and now no matter how hard I try and what masking sound I use I simply cannot focus. And I was very successful at work prior T, I had a briliant career in corporation, reached very fast high managerial position and I was proud of myself. Now I'm close to loosing my position since managerial skills require concentration on conversations which I can't do , I'm affraid that in other kind of job like engineer or specialist lack of concentration will lead to difficulites in conducting deep analysis. Everyday I'm closer to conclude that only simple physical job will remian for me, either machine operator in the factory or car driver. And it's not I have no ambition or I gave up my life, I "only" cannot focus. What comforts me the most is staying at home listening to nature sounds or music whole day long doing basic work activities like writing emails, making phone calls etc. In the evenings reading. But whenever I try to do some real work my brain just rejects to function in noise.

Still I hope someone can help me to find my way to concentrate. My wife has T she's a teacher and she does not have any problems at work. At the same time psychiatrist I visit have a few patients with T around their thirties with pretty depressive stories since their T onset: one lost his job, another one did not manage to finish his studies, another one lost his girlfriend, another one finished studies but cannot find a job due to concentration difficulties

The problem is real no matter the severity of T. Some say I should be happy to only have mild T - well, it's not the reason to be happy. I symphatize with severe T sufferers, cancer sufferers and many disabled people worldwide, but its my life I have difficulty to lead normally. And I fully understand I have to accept my T and I think I did accept it. But acceptance does not help to lead normal life, you need to have a brain with ability to function in noise, mine can't adapt.

I would be greatful if some mild T sufferer who could not adapt in the beginning but finally found his way to do it would share his story and techniques with me. I'm just affraid that some people are born with certain skills, and some are not. The skill required to lead normal life with T is the ability to concentrate in noise. I feel I was born with many interesting skills, but this very important skill at this moment of my life I miss which makes my life a miserable existance. And if it comes to acceptance I get to the point where I have to accept both: not only T presence but also its incapacitating impact on my life

 

@Mentos
If you have been masking your tinnitus, by this I mean totally covering up your tinnitus with another sound so that you can't hear the tinnitus? This is the wrong thing to do and it is unlikely that you will habituate using that method. In some cases totally masking tinnitus can make it more intrusive. As soon as the masking is stopped/removed, the brain will immediately focus back on the tinnitus and it can appear louder and more intrusive.

The brain cannot habituate to tinnitus unless it can hear it. The correct way to apply masking ( the modern term is sound enrichment) is to use white noise generators and set the volume slightly below the tinnitus. In other words make sure the tinnitus can always be heard.

White noise generators should be used under the guidance of a hearing therapist as part of TRT. You need proper treatment. In my opinion, you should be referred to ENT so tests can be carried on your auditory system and it's likely a referral to a Hearing Therapist will be advised. If TRT is available in your area this is one of the best treatments that can help.
Michael

 

I sit at work all day with t buzzing away in the background. Woukd it be weird to say that at times i find my t noise almost soothing? It never used to be that way but maybe with time and acceptance i now don't find the actual noise to be "unbearable". I guess i do have it mild-moderate I can't really say for sure.

 

@Sam Bridge I believe we have touched on this subject before Sam, and I don't believe you are doing the right thing by working in a quiet room without using a sound machine, playing at a low level (not masking) your tinnitus. However, the choice is yours.

 

i have in the past played sounds from my phone. I am not against going back to it but i find it noce that i have reached this level of "peace" with it. Having said that I know you have alot more experience with t so I will start playing some sounds under my t volume again.

 

Honestly guys I think I'm quite unique example but I don't really believe I can fully habituate even though my T is mild. I have it for 1.5 years already and it's still difficult experience for me like hell. In some way I learnt to manage my emotions by masking 24/7 and usually I can overcome my anxiety, but full concentration at work is is impossible for me. I just always concentrated in the past in silence and now no matter how hard I try and what masking sound I use I simply cannot focus. And I was very successful at work prior T, I had a briliant career in corporation, reached very fast high managerial position and I was proud of myself. Now I'm close to loosing my position since managerial skills require concentration on conversations which I can't do , I'm affraid that in other kind of job like engineer or specialist lack of concentration will lead to difficulites in conducting deep analysis. Everyday I'm closer to conclude that only simple physical job will remian for me, either machine operator in the factory or car driver. And it's not I have no ambition or I gave up my life, I "only" cannot focus. What comforts me the most is staying at home listening to nature sounds or music whole day long doing basic work activities like writing emails, making phone calls etc. In the evenings reading. But whenever I try to do some real work my brain just rejects to function in noise.

Still I hope someone can help me to find my way to concentrate. My wife has T she's a teacher and she does not have any problems at work. At the same time psychiatrist I visit have a few patients with T around their thirties with pretty depressive stories since their T onset: one lost his job, another one did not manage to finish his studies, another one lost his girlfriend, another one finished studies but cannot find a job due to concentration difficulties

The problem is real no matter the severity of T. Some say I should be happy to only have mild T - well, it's not the reason to be happy. I symphatize with severe T sufferers, cancer sufferers and many disabled people worldwide, but its my life I have difficulty to lead normally. And I fully understand I have to accept my T and I think I did accept it. But acceptance does not help to lead normal life, you need to have a brain with ability to function in noise, mine can't adapt.

I would be greatful if some mild T sufferer who could not adapt in the beginning but finally found his way to do it would share his story and techniques with me. I'm just affraid that some people are born with certain skills, and some are not. The skill required to lead normal life with T is the ability to concentrate in noise. I feel I was born with many interesting skills, but this very important skill at this moment of my life I miss which makes my life a miserable existance. And if it comes to acceptance I get to the point where I have to accept both: not only T presence but also its incapacitating impact on my life

 

@Sam Bridge I do have a lot of experience with tinnitus Sam but we never stop learning - I learn a lot from people here at tinnitus talk that haven't had tinnitus as long as me. Tinnitus comes in many forms and intensities and no two people experience it the same. Sorry to get on my soap box but I can't impress upon you enough how important it is to use sound enrichment while you're working in your office. I advise using nature sounds and not music, as music draws attention to itself and that isn't what you need.
Michael

 

Not a problem Michael. It is clear to me that you have a lot of experience with tinnitue so i am grateful for your advice.

 

Thank you for your kind words Sam and I hope your tinnitus stays low.
Michael

 

Michael I read a lot that the sound enrichment should be set on volume slightly below T sound - do you have an idea why not to mask it complately? Personally I feel much better and I manage to focus better when I cover my T fully. In my case a paradox is that I can focus the best either with T masked complately or not masked at all. Partial masking somehow distracts me the most.

 

My guess is becauae when you start hearing t again after turning off masking you will go back to being anxious. Thats why i have been getting used to working with no masking and i have been fine with it so far. Although as i said i will experiment with sounds from my phone.

 

@Mentos
@Sam Bridge
Anyone that has tinnitus it is recommended to avoid quiet rooms during the day and particularly at night. Masking is an old terminology, "sound enrichment" is the term used today. Ideally, it should be set slightly below the tinnitus, although some people choose the mixing point - mixing point is when the tinnitus and sound source are blended together so both sounds are heard. I don't like the mixing point but it's something to consider trying.

The brain cannot habituate to tinnitus if it cannot hear it this is why totally "masking" the tinnitus is not advised.

As Sam correctly says, as soon at the masking is turned off/removed the brain will immediately focus back on the tinnitus and you'll become more anxious. In other words the brain won't learn to habituate to the tinnitus as it cannot hear it.
Michael

 

I'm sorry if I offended anyone with my optimism. I only meant to offer encouragement.

If there was one thing in this world that I absolutely despised, it was fans. I hated that annoying sound that ruined my silence. I hated the air it circulated that dried my contacts and made them stick to my eyes. I have always hated fans.

I now have a fan in my room and it runs 24/7. It rocks me to sleep.

I'm currently in my living room with the tv on and my ceiling fan is on full cycle.

I love fans now. I have found them to be the best masker.

The point is in the power of the mind.

In addition to the fans, I also sleep with the TV on (for now). I do my best to never enter a silent room. If I do, I hum melodies or sing to myself softly and give my full concentration to them. I try to never give my attention to the T. When I get in my car I don't close the door before I have it turned over and the radio (talk radio) on low.

When I said I didn't care that I noticed my T, that was a bit of a stretch. Sometimes it's hard. Sometimes, it's really hard. I had a terrible spike just last night (tuna maybe??) that took everything I had to not break down (it is so overwhelming!), and after about an hour or so I finally got my mind away from it. I have no idea the extent of my T. All I know is that it is terrible. And very high pitched. It really does hurt me to know that the rest of you suffer the same, and worse. I know I am new to this horrible thing but I want to help the best I can. Of course everyone will require a different approach but the encouragement I want to give is to try everything and find what works for you. And most importantly, don't give up.

I agree with @Michael Leigh about using nature sounds at work. I have also found grey noise and pink noise, or sweeping noise of both colors to be helpful. There are many different noises you can try to find which works best for your unique T.

Did you hear your T when you were reading this post?

Here is one of the first things I book marked when I found this site a month ago. http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/tinnitus.shtml I can't remember the user who shared it, but they had their feet up in their avatar.

The ringing never stops, I only stop listening to it.


As Jimmy Valvano famously said, "Don't give up, don't ever give up."

 

On the contrary @Shadowboxer I believe it's good to have an optimistic outlook on life as it's one of the best ways of overcoming tinnitus. Although I have severe fluctuating tinnitus, if it wasn't for my optimism and positive outlook on life, I might have gone under many years ago. When my tinnitus increased to unbearable levels back in 2008, it took 4 years to get my life back on track.

Whilst it's good that you are using a fan and other sources for sound enrichment, be careful not to completely mask your tinnitus so that it can't be heard as you won't be helping yourself. Make sure you can always hear your tinnitus slightly above whatever sound you are using for sound enrichment, otherwise you will never habituate to your tinnitus.
Michael

 

Hi nice thread. Answering the original question, I feel I'm pretty well habituated and can hear my T whenever I try to find it unless I'm in a loud environment. It's still there but it doesn't bother me anymore and I go for long periods of time without it popping into my conscious awareness. When I do become aware of it, it's become easier to 'change the subject' consciously. It's a pretty damn boring subject so at some point it does get easier to do this, once it starts to occur and successes can be repeated.

 

If you can mask your T with a fan or the TV, how is tinnitus even a issue to begin with, I don't get it. All you have to do is run a fan, wow, be so nice.

 

I'm a teen. I have a T that is quiet and can not be masked. No nature sounds, no white noise. Nothing. Music makes my T louder than ever. It sounds like a radio that hasn't been tuned yet. Very annoying. Getting used to T all starts with acceptance. Knowing that you can't do anything about this condition. The moment when you're not overly protective of your ears, in fear that it might get worse. That moment you don't wish you could do something different in life to reverse T. That moment when you can have a normal life like before. That moment when you're reading a book and think "Oh yes, I have tinnitus. Hehe." That's the true meaning of habituation.