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I get the sense that tinnitus is so different for so many people there will never be a single solution. I think it can only be stopped at its source in the hea

I get the sense that tinnitus is so different for so many people there will never be a single solution. I think it can only be stopped at its source in the hearing centers of the brain itself, but good luck getting that accomplished. I can only describe mine as the sound of a dump truck full of chandeliers going by the house. There are low-pitched rumbles, high-pitched wails and everything else in between if I really concentrate on it. I'm not sure exactly why I'm not despondent about it, but for whatever reason, I simply choose to ignore it and it doesn't impact my life in any way. I'd pay big money to make it go away, but I don't hold out any real hope.

asdfman123 7y ago
> I'm not sure exactly why I'm not despondent about it, but for whatever reason, I simply choose to ignore it and it doesn't impact my life in any way Actually, I've read that the best way to cope with tinnitus is to... just not worry so much about it. I suppose it's possible to catastrophize if you have it, but if you go about your day and don't mind it it won't bother you nearly as much. I actually have fairly soft tinnitus myself, but I only notice it every so often.
- jefftk 7y ago
  I have minor tinnitus as well, a high pitched sound like a CRT makes, and I just don't pay attention to it. But I don't know if this is "it doesn't bother you if you don't pay attention" vs "mine is very minor" vs "something about it makes it not bother me, and also not pay attention" or what.
  - _fy0z 7y ago
    I'm leaning towards the former option. I'd describe mine as very similar to yours (mentioned in another comment), and it doesn't present an issue unless you really think about it, where your mind consciously/subconsciously focuses on the frequencies the tinnitus manifests in. Getting to a place where it's just not something that you think about/bothers you is, all things considered, a pretty good place to be in. Edit: I don't mean to trivialize this issue, as it definitely does have a greater effect on some people more than others. So, your 3rd possible explanation is quite intriguing here too.
- _fy0z 7y ago
  Tinnitus is weird. It can change from being fairly soft and presenting no issue at all to really very distracting by just thinking about it (in my case). I've found that thinking about it more than usual in, say, the morning, can result in your mind focusing on the specific frequencies the tinnitus manifests in, with these conscious-subconscious feedback loops resulting in it sounding far louder than usual for the rest of the day. Then, the next day, it's back to normal. I'd be interested in finding out more about this conscious-subconscious connection with tinnitus, because it's quite amazing how it can be forgotten about for a seemingly arbitrarily long period of time until the thought comes up. edit: or perhaps I shouldn't, for exactly this reason ;)

asdfman123 7y ago

> I'm not sure exactly why I'm not despondent about it, but for whatever reason, I simply choose to ignore it and it doesn't impact my life in any way Actually, I've read that the best way to cope with tinnitus is to... just not worry so much about it. I suppose it's possible to catastrophize if you have it, but if you go about your day and don't mind it it won't bother you nearly as much. I actually have fairly soft tinnitus myself, but I only notice it every so often.

jefftk 7y ago
I have minor tinnitus as well, a high pitched sound like a CRT makes, and I just don't pay attention to it. But I don't know if this is "it doesn't bother you if you don't pay attention" vs "mine is very minor" vs "something about it makes it not bother me, and also not pay attention" or what.
- _fy0z 7y ago
  I'm leaning towards the former option. I'd describe mine as very similar to yours (mentioned in another comment), and it doesn't present an issue unless you really think about it, where your mind consciously/subconsciously focuses on the frequencies the tinnitus manifests in. Getting to a place where it's just not something that you think about/bothers you is, all things considered, a pretty good place to be in. Edit: I don't mean to trivialize this issue, as it definitely does have a greater effect on some people more than others. So, your 3rd possible explanation is quite intriguing here too.
_fy0z 7y ago
Tinnitus is weird. It can change from being fairly soft and presenting no issue at all to really very distracting by just thinking about it (in my case). I've found that thinking about it more than usual in, say, the morning, can result in your mind focusing on the specific frequencies the tinnitus manifests in, with these conscious-subconscious feedback loops resulting in it sounding far louder than usual for the rest of the day. Then, the next day, it's back to normal. I'd be interested in finding out more about this conscious-subconscious connection with tinnitus, because it's quite amazing how it can be forgotten about for a seemingly arbitrarily long period of time until the thought comes up. edit: or perhaps I shouldn't, for exactly this reason ;)