Spikes and Habituation

[DebInAustralia]

Hello Dr Nagler,

Am I right in assuming that a person who has habituated like yourself, still has spikes, but no longer cares about the increase in volume? Can habituation in itself diminish our awareness of sudden increases in volume?

thanks
deb

 

[Dr. Nagler]

Am I right in assuming that a person who has habituated like yourself, still has spikes, but no longer cares about the increase in volume? Can habituation in itself diminish our awareness of sudden increases in volume?

We often talk about habituation as a state, but it is really a process. I suspect that somebody who is fully habituated would never notice spikes - but I do not think anybody really gets fully habituated.

I am what I would refer to as largely habituated. I occasionally become aware of my tinnitus. It is a totally unpredictable event when it occurs, and it can happen several times a week or several times a day. It can be quite distracting, but it causes me no distress (i.e., I no longer care.) Of course I can hear my tinnitus any time I purposely seek it. I really don't know if I have spikes or not - it's always so unbelievably loud. Below is a photo of the "Maid if the Mist" boat at the foot of Niagara Falls. I can easily hear my tinnitus while on that boat.



If I had spikes, perhaps I might notice it more often - but I still wouldn't care. Hope that helps.

stephen nagler