4 ms·
Same for me, I think I probably had it since a young age (lots of middle ear infections) but it seemed normal to me so I didn’t realize it was unusual until muc
by throwaway63467 2y ago
Same for me, I think I probably had it since a young age (lots of middle ear infections) but it seemed normal to me so I didn’t realize it was unusual until much later in life. I freaked out about it for a few years but realized it was and will always be there and didn’t bother me before, so I pretty much went back to it not bothering me anymore.
- bsimpson 2y agoI had a mental health crisis when I first realized I had it (triggered by a really bad audio mix at a concert and some rando chastising "you're gonna fuck up your hearing" when I didn't have earplugs). A few months followed of "oh shit, is my life experience permanently broken now?" and all the bad feelings that connotes. I was in a really bad place. I've always been someone who can hear electronics - when CRTs are popular, I'd know if one was in the upcoming room while I was still in the hallway. At some point, I realized that I heard all sorts of minor sounds just by existing in my apartment, and that tinnitus isn't much different than that. Helped me chill out about the whole scenario. My mom taught me "lean into the good, and you'll feel more of the good; lean into the bad, and you'll feel more of the bad." That's certainly been my experience with tinnitus. Letting yourself panic and gloom about it is the worst part of having it. If you don't assign valence to it (don't let it be good or bad, just a thing you experience), it loses its power to drive you mad.