Will I Ever Habituate?

I just came back from the psych ward at the hospital because of my tinnitus, but I'm terrified again of it, has anyone never been able to habituate?

I've had it for ten years but the past week it got worse.

 

Idk if it ever happens. I've had t for a while and I can confidently say it's just a meme. It's code for "giving up".

 

I am so sorry that tinnitus bothers you so much. Tinnitus can be both a physical thing and mental thing. Both can be bad. I suggest possibly talking this out with someone that you trust and care about. It takes time to get a grip on tinnitus and cope. When I first got it, i would talk with my mom a lot and ask many questions.

Expressing how you feel is helpful, I did this a lot in my early days with tinnitus. Distraction and not fixating on tinnitus is key. Some folks simply listen for the tinnitus . There are many relaxation techniques that one can use to distract themselves from tinnitus.

It is not an easy ordeal, but you can do this...ALL can do it..

Take care

 

Hi Jodie,
I'm so glad you had the hospital support and hope a phone contact and home support if need it for a while.
I think getting use to your tinnitus comes over time and spikes get less emotional as you learn how your tinnitus spikes and the loudness and sound it makes and you learn coping skills and what you find nice to get through down times to help keep your chin up.
Tinnitus can be mental torture down to a soft quiet sound but both can still be upsetting and cause unwanted emotions.

We are here around the clock to support you.
Love glynis

 

I've also been in a psych ward with tinnitus associated depression (High five)

 

If it's only been worse for a week it's probably just a spike and will pass. I've had many spikes over the years that lasted that long or even longer and I'm still here...
Just try to reduce your anxiety and fear by telling yourself (repeatedly) that it's just temporary and that it will pass. Even if you don't feel that way, "fake it until you make it!"

 

Me too. Apparently the worst thing tinnitus offers is "a slightly worse quality of life", according to medical professionals.

 

yes ive re habituated a few times ..

fear drives my perceptions ..

so working on reigning in fear and anxiety helps me

 

Hi Deb. Did your T worsen each time causing you to rehabituate, or did you just lose your initial habituation?

 

What does habituation mean to you?

 

This thread is a couple months old, and I believe the author has posted recently that she has habituated.

Your question is very interesting to me because I think it’s possible that habituation can mean different things for different people.

 

She's had tinnitus for over 10 years, but just recently habituated shortly after joining tinnitustalk?

It is an interesting question, though. For some I think habituation means they do not hear it unless they are thinking about tinnitus. I don't think this kind of habituation is possible for severe tinnitus. For others it's that they hear it but have no emotional reaction to it, and it no longer impacts their life.

 

The habituation process.

Habituation is frequently talked about in tinnitus forums and probably comes in at second place to the popular question: when will a cure be found? It seems some people have become quite taken with this word and believe it is the most important thing to strive for when dealing with this condition. Everyone wants to habituate as soon as possible and carry on living their life doing everything that they want to and putting tinnitus firmly behind them.

I can honestly say that I see nothing wrong with that, but wanting something in the speed that we would like it isn’t always achievable, especially with something like tinnitus. A few people that have had tinnitus for a while, have contacted me to discuss just that. They have concerns about the length of time it’s taking to habituate. Similarly, I have heard from those new to this condition that want the habitation process to start as quickly as possible. Both groups tell me they are doing all the right things but it seems patience is giving way to despondency and despair and some are starting to believe habituation might never happen for them.

It is of little comfort to these people when they hear family and friends say, tinnitus is just a minor irritant and something that can easily be ignored. Occasionally, it might be intrusive but this is never more than temporary and they are still able to carry on with their life unperturbed. I often sense the frustration a person is under when they are relaying this to me. Whether I’m talking to them on the telephone, private messenger or answering an email. It is then that I’m often asked: why is it that the habituation process doesn’t seem to be happening for them?

Answering such a question isn’t easy because there is no single answer that I can provide but I will say this. Tinnitus is a common condition that comes in many forms and intensities and no two people experience it the same. It can be very troublesome especially in the early stages of onset, but gradually this gives way and the condition settles down and in time many manage to cope with it when it’s mild or moderate. Sometimes this may involve treatment via a hearing therapist or a person achieves this naturally without being referred to a clinic.

It should be noted that tinnitus can be a complex condition, depending on how loud and intrusive it is for the individual? So what I’ve just outlined won’t apply to everyone. There are other factors that also come into play. A person’s make-up or rather their outlook on life. Whether they are positive or negative thinking can help or delay the habitation process. In addition to this, stress and anxiety are often associated with tinnitus and a person might be taking medication such as an antidepressant to help cope with it. There are a myriad of scenarios that I could relay to you on how tinnitus can affect someone’s quality of life, their well-being and the habituation process. For now I will say this:

When a person habituates to tinnitus it means they are able cope with it but this doesn’t mean they will never hear it. Although some people habituate to a level where the tinnitus is rarely heard or stays at a very low level. Whether the tinnitus is silent for periods of time or remains low, mild, moderate or is occasionally intrusive, it doesn’t really matter, because it all means the same thing. When habituation is reached a person will know, because whatever the level it will not bother you. However, like everything there are exceptions and tinnitus is no different. I believe there are some limitations to habituation. As I have previously said the condition comes in many forms and intensities. Some people have variable tinnitus that can fluctuate from silent, mild, moderate and severe. When it is loud and intrusive (severe) and this level is sustained for long periods it can become very debilitating and a person might have to take medication to cope with it, which is usually supplied by their doctor. This level of sustained intrusiveness shouldn’t be confused with a tinnitus spike, which usually returns to baseline within a short period of time.

I want to say that I believe habituation is achievable for most people with time. In some instances a person might need the professional help of a Hearing Therapist or Audiologist, as there are a variety of treatment options available to help one in the habituation process. One should also try to be realistic. There are some people that will accept nothing less than a complete cure from their tinnitus and this is unfortunate, because they could waste a lot of time being miserable.

I have corresponded with people that have said, their tinnitus is very low and is only heard occasionally or in a quiet room, at night for instance. Yet these people are not satisfied because they want a complete cure and will deliberately seek out quiet surroundings to monitor their tinnitus, checking to see if it has increased or not. It’s as if they have become obsessed with this condition and to the point where is starts to affect their relationship with those that are close to them, and I don’t think this is healthy.

In summing up I want to say one last thing. Those that are having treatment with a Hearing Therapist, Audiologist, or finding that their tinnitus is becoming less intrusive and they are in the habituation process. Try not to read negative posts or associate with negative thinking people who are not in the same place that you are, as their beliefs can prevent your advancement, if you are not careful.

I wish you well
Michael

PS: further reading on habituation:
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/answers-to-hyperacusis-and-habituation.12058/

 

"Don't hear it unless they think about it" concept I don't really understand. Mine is pretty mild still for me it works rather "I hear it unless I forget about it". There are people though who claim that indeed they don't hear it unless they think about it, like my mum who has it mild for over 30 years due to hearing loss and says she can "tune it out" during the day so that she hardly ever hear it or think about it and does not impact her mood at all. And she even likes silence which is pretty uncommon for T sufferers. But this works I think only for very mild T.

Still for me habituation would mean: you don't react emotionally for most time of a day to it, it may irritate but does not make you anxious, you are not affraid of it, you don't treat it as something bad, it does not interefe your daily plans and what you do during the day, it does not impact your focus and concentration and you are able to concentrate on other things.

 

I'm habituated now. It means your brain ignores the noise, it has better things to do