Tips for Habituating to Tinnitus? Do People with Mild-to-Moderate Tinnitus Have Good Lives?

Hi there, Sevv! So for what it's worth, I'm in a very similar boat. I've struggled with severe OCD my entire adult life, and it's done a lot of damage. Killed my career, several relationships, and my finances. I'm 37, single, never married, no kids. I do have a decent job now, but not one that I enjoy. And my health isn't so great, either. So what I'm saying is, don't feel left out or ashamed. You're certainly not alone!

Interestingly, my tinnitus is also very similar to yours. It's a high-pitch tone, a lot like the sound that those old tube TVs used to make when you first turned them on. I'd describe it as mild to moderate (depending on the day).

I've been dealing with the OCD since high school and the tinnitus since I was 23, and I've discovered a few things that have actually helped with both. You're already doing one of them -- meditation. Also, I exercise like crazy these days because of how relaxing it is for me. Since starting a regular gym routine that includes both cardio and weights, I've been sleeping much better (which hasn't always been easy thanks to the tinnitus), and my OCD has become easier to manage. Cognitive behavioral therapy has helped me a fair bit with both conditions as well.

For sleeping and relaxing, the sound of rain/running water also helps to mask my tinnitus. I've bookmarked about a dozen Youtube videos with those types of sounds and will sometimes use them to fall asleep at night when the ringing is just a little too loud. My favorite one is this video of a bamboo water fountain. I use it for both sleeping and for background noise when I'm reading. You might want to find a few of these types of videos that work for you. They can be real life-savers when you need a break from your tinnitus.

Habituation will happen, though it does take time. And if you get any spikes in the future, it's important that you don't panic. You will most likely adapt to the change, but it always takes time. I've gone through a few spikes myself over the years. Some of them went away, some of them didn't, but I habituated to the changes each and every time.

To be honest, though, I find that hope is still the best medicine. You mentioned Lenire, and a lot of people on this board are very excited about that. Sounds like it has real potential, which is awesome. I myself am looking forward to trying it as soon as it's available in the States. But if it doesn't work for you or me, there's still the pharma & biotech companies. There's a strong financial incentive for them to come up with something; tinnitus is the most common disability among combat veterans (here in the U.S., at least) and is a major problem in several other professions that require daily exposure to loud noise. So basically, there's a very healthy demand for either a cure or at least some kind of drug or therapy that can mask the ringing. And where there's demand, there's a company waiting to cash in. So there are very good reasons to hope that something becomes available in the near future. Hold onto that hope, and it'll make the days just a little bit easier for you.

 

Hello!

Ok, so I have had tinnitus for 16 years without a known cause. No apparent hearing loss. I was diagnosed with severe bilateral tinnitus at initial diagnosis and have since then experienced multiple spikes however, I understand this is only a sound and have coped fairly well. I can sleep and this isn't worth getting depressed over. I am currently dealing with another spike which is presenting itself with a loud intrusive 'eeeeee' and although I haven't done so much in the past and just allowed time to sort things out, I would like to know (out of interest) what else I could do to accelerate habituation? Is listening to white noise an option? Or pink, brown, violet noise...?

Thanks!