What is it that makes us hate our T so much? assuming that we do.
And can we ever train our mind to love it?
Thoughts.....
However, the sound of white noise or the noise of the ocean is beautiful. Some T noise is similar to this so if we train our mind to hear our T as the sound of soothing white noise or the ocean we might be onto something.Lack of control and it's usually an annoying sound. Tinnitus typically manifests itself as a sound that we'd normally avoid if we could.
But unlike sounds that normally annoy us, we cannot escape tinnitus. We can't walk away from it, turn it off or cover our ears to drown it out.
I've never heard even the most habituated person ever claim to love tinnitus; is it possible to love it? I suppose that possibility exists... In the same way people begin to like pain or even depression.
Right now I'm trying to habituate. But I'm keeping a close eye on the reports regarding retigabine and other potential treatments.
Thanks for your advice Dr. I like that we can try not to care.We can never train our mind to love it.
But we can definitely train our mind not to care one way or the other.
Dr. Stephen Nagler
Good reply.Very good question.
1. It is something that "haunts" you ALL the time, without any switch that can turn it off. You cannot take a break from it.
2. It's out of your control.
3. It's choric (not on all cases), so that sound accompnies us for life.
4. Yes it's just a sound. Try playing a high pitched sound to someone for 30 seconds, see what the response will be.
5. It is dominant- on quiet places which a majority of people spend a decent amount of the day it's just there and for me it's impossible to ignore at least without masking.
It's just a sound - but it's a torture.
Since T is not usually painful, we could learn to love it, not in the sense we love pleasure, I mean be friends with it.
We find it impossible to love pain, but T is not pain, it's just a noise, we could re-program our brain to interpret it differently rather than fear it.
I used to take Gabapentin, but not for the T, for some other Neurological condition I have. Gabapentin is evil.
I have nerve damage in my left hand side of the body due to an accident at work 4 years ago, it feels like I am trapped inside a broken body what with the nerve damage and the T
Actually when I spoke with a trt clinician, she told me she trained one of her patients to imagine his tinnitus was a heating radiator in his house, and soon after it actually helped him get to sleep, so he loves it.We can never train our mind to love it.
But we can definitely train our mind not to care one way or the other.
Dr. Stephen Nagler
Not sure how we can go as far as to train our brains to not care about it, but to like it...this is NOT possible. I don't understand these rules. You would think if you could do one you could do the other.Actually when I spoke with a trt clinician, she told me she trained one of her patients to imagine his tinnitus was a heating radiator in his house, and soon after it actually helped him get to sleep, so he loves it.
@gary
I have recently recognized those rare occasions, the problem is sustaining it. There appears to be no way of sustaining it unless you live in a mall or mask it to death.
Remember Blair, if you have had those rare occasions then you are making progress. I know it sounds to simple to work, but you just have to let it go, that's what happens during those rare occasions, you know it is possible. You have done it.@gary
I have recently recognized those rare occasions, the problem is sustaining it. There appears to be no way of sustaining it unless you live in a mall or mask it to death. I wish I could see some progress.
Yes Blair, it probably is, just don't give in. Remember, those fleeting moments will get longer...
@Dr Nagler,
I agree with you as I know many who just turn a fan on at night and that's it and manage well. How I would love to get there, I am only stating the only way I can sustain it, if that is even correct, is by going to the mall or masking it. I just can't seem to make any progress.
Mpt might be getting good effects now, but what if he damages his vision from this? That wouldn't be worth it at all.
I guess they think I'm nuts or I'm lying.
I hated the idea of T; the fact that I couldn't control it, I didn't ask for it, and it was robbing my sleep and causing anxiety.
This needs to be put into perspective, this effect occured in some people taking the highest dose possible for 4 - 5 years, not months, and remember it was not everyone.
He is also tapering down as well at present. How many people on here would say they will not take any form ( not just this one ) of medication for a few months, due to some risk that occured over many years.
There are many more hard addictive medications that are handed out to people on a daily bases, which can cause total addiction in a matter of months and have terrible withdrawl symptions as well
FWIW, @Blair14, I do not turn a fan on at night. I used to years ago, but I don't any more. I sleep in total silence. I read in total silence. The only sound is my tinnitus - and 95+% of the time I don't hear it unless I seek it, which I don't ... 'cause why would I??!!